Magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder

The shoulder is now accessible to MRI owing to recent technical advances. The major advantages of this modality include its noninvasive nature, lack of ionizing radiation, excellent contrast and anatomic resolution, multiplanar imaging capability, and ability as a single imaging modality to evaluate simultaneously for a wide variety of pathologic processes. It is proving its utility particularly in the evaluation of the painful shoulder and the diagnosis of glenohumeral instability, rotator cuff impingement, tendinitis, and tear. We believe that with greater experience and large comparative studies, MRI will clearly demonstrate its superiority in evaluation of the shoulder and will almost entirely replace arthrography, as has occurred with the knee.