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Published on: February 10, 2015
Prevalence of MRI findings in adults with scapular pain: An exploratory cross-sectional study
Chetan K Potu1, Henry J Wong2, Joshua Levin1
1Division of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Stanford University School of Medicine, Redwood City, CA, USA.
Background:
Scapular pain has multiple possible pain generators including cervical radiculopathy, facet arthropathy, scapular dyskinesis, and myofascial pain making selecting an appropriate interventional target challenging. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be ordered as part of the workup, but the prevalence of imaging findings has not been reported.
Objective:
To explore the prevalence of findings identified on MRI in patients with scapular pain.
Methods:
This single-center exploratory cross-sectional study included adults presenting to orthopedic clinics from June 2015-June 2025 with scapular pain. Prevalence of MRI findings in the cervicothoracic spine, shoulder, and scapula were determined.
Results:
284 of 503 patients (56%) obtained at least one MRI: cervical spine (203), thoracic spine (76), shoulder (106), and scapula (22). The most prevalent findings were supraspinatus tendinopathy (88%), C5-6 foraminal stenosis (66%), and C5-6 degenerative changes (65%).
Conclusions:
C5-6 pathology and supraspinatus tendinopathy were the most prevalent findings in patients with scapular pain. Incidental MRI findings in the spine and shoulder increase with age, and therefore MRI findings in patients with scapular pain should be cautiously interpreted within appropriate clinical context.