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Sonography of the postoperative shoulder
L A Mack1, D A Nyberg, F R Matsen
1Department of Radiology, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle 98195.
AJR. American Journal of Roentgenology
|May 1, 1988
Summary
Shoulder sonography effectively evaluates recurrent postoperative symptoms. It accurately identifies rotator cuff tears and intact cuffs after acromioplasty or rotator cuff repair surgery.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Radiology
- Musculoskeletal Imaging
Background:
- Postoperative shoulder pain is common after acromioplasty or rotator cuff repair.
- Surgical alterations of anatomy can complicate diagnostic imaging.
- Understanding characteristic sonographic findings is crucial for accurate diagnosis.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess the efficacy of shoulder sonography in evaluating recurrent postoperative shoulder symptoms.
- To correlate sonographic findings with surgical outcomes.
- To identify characteristic sonographic appearances following specific shoulder surgeries.
Main Methods:
- Shoulder sonography was performed on 60 symptomatic shoulders in 53 patients.
- Patients had prior acromioplasty or rotator cuff repair with acromioplasty.
- Sonographic findings were correlated with surgical proof where available.
Main Results:
- Sonography accurately diagnosed recurrent rotator cuff tears in all surgically confirmed cases (26/26).
- An intact rotator cuff was correctly identified in 10 of 11 cases.
- Post-surgical changes included altered acromial margins and loss of subdeltoid bursa echogenicity.
Conclusions:
- Shoulder sonography is an effective tool for diagnosing recurrent rotator cuff tears postoperatively.
- Sonography can differentiate between intact and torn rotator cuffs after surgery.
- Characteristic sonographic findings aid in interpreting postoperative shoulder sonograms.