Possibilities of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of rotator cuff infringement syndrome

The choice of diagnostic methods for rotator cuff infringement syndrome is still considered controversial due to the lack of a standard insertion algorithm. Objective of the study: to conduct a comparative analysis of the diagnostic ability of ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in the diagnosis of patients with subacromial impingement syndrome. Materials and methods. The study included 190 cases of subacromial impingement syndrome. The patients were divided into groups depending on the method of diagnosis of the disease: in the first group (n=93), the diagnosis was confirmed by ultrasound, in the second (n=97) – by magnetic resonance imaging. To compare the studied indicators with the reference ones, a control group of healthy people (n=20) was examined. The research methods included clinical and visual (collection of complaints, medical history and life history, physical examination), instrumental (ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder joint) examination, questionnaire tests (ASES, VAS) to determine the level of pain. Results. In patients with subacromial impingement syndrome, ultrasound examination is able to detect disorders of the structure and components of the shoulder joint in the form of changes in the distance «acromion – large humerus tubercle», acromial-humeral distance, thickness of the supraspinatus tendon and the subcromial-subcutaneous sac. The sensitivity of this method is 69.8%. Magnetic resonance imaging is the optimal method for diagnosing impingement syndrome, allowing detailed visualization of all anatomical structures of the joint and surrounding tissues and clearly identify the pathological condition with a sensitivity of 95.0%. Conclusion. The possibility of ultrasound examination in the diagnosis of rotator cuff infringement syndrome is quite effective, but magnetic resonance imaging is the most optimal.