Ultrasonography of the rotator cuff: surgical correlation

Rotator cuff tears are a common orthopedic problem. The portions of the cuff most commonly torn are accessible to sonographic examination with appropriate positioning of the shoulder. This study was undertaken to correlate the sonographic appearance of the pathologic rotator cuff with findings at the time of surgical repair. Rotator cuff tears are readily seen with high-resolution real-time sonography. Sonography can demonstrate tears not demonstrated arthrographically. In the appropriate clinical setting arthrography may not be necessary if the sonogram demonstrates characteristic findings.