[Shoulder instability and pain. Computerized arthro-tomography assessment]

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic imaging
• Radiology
• Musculoskeletal diagnostics

Background:

• Increasing demand for detailed shoulder joint imaging in orthopedics.
• Need for comprehensive visualization of bone, capsuloligamentous, and musculotendinous structures.
• CT arthrography as a widely adopted method for detailed shoulder assessment.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the utility of CT arthrography in diagnosing shoulder instability and pain.
• To identify common pathologies associated with traumatic and atraumatic shoulder instability.
• To assess the effectiveness of CT arthrography in diagnosing various shoulder conditions.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 282 patients undergoing CT arthrography.
• Categorization of patients based on anatomical instability, functional instability, or shoulder pain.
• Detailed examination of imaging findings, including labral tears, capsular lesions, and Hill-Sachs lesions.

Main Results:

• High incidence of glenoid labra (91%) and capsule (82%) injuries in traumatic instability, often associated.
• Frequent detection of Hill-Sachs lesions (65.8%) in traumatic cases.
• Common causes of shoulder pain identified include impingement syndrome (30.5%) and superior labrum lesions (16.7%).
• CT arthrography demonstrated high specificity (97.7%), sensitivity (91%), and accuracy (96%).

Conclusions:

• CT arthrography is highly effective in identifying labral and capsular abnormalities, rotator cuff conditions, and fractures.
• The imaging modality is minimally invasive, well-tolerated, and crucial for treatment and surgical planning.
• CT arthrography provides comprehensive diagnostic information for diverse shoulder pathologies.