Comparative Study Of The Role Of Ultrasound Versus MRI In Diagnosis Of Post-Traumatic Shoulder

Shoulder trauma is a common clinical problem, injuries range from falling onto the shoulder to high speed car accident with a wide variety of sequeale including bone fractures, joint dislocation and soft tissue injuries as tears of ligaments, muscles and tissue capsule. MR imaging provides a global view of the shoulder and is relatively easy to learn and interpret. However, it is expensive and may be time-consuming. MR arthrography provides exquisite information about the labrum and rotator cuff, but is expensive and invasive. Full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff may be accurately identified at MR imaging with little observer variation. Consistent differentiation between the normal cuff, tendinitis, and partial-thickness tears is considerably more difficult because MR criteria for these diagnoses are not universally accepted .Ultrasound of the shoulder has provided a powerful tool for correlating the status of the shoulder structures with the clinical status of the patient. Because of its low cost and noninvasiveness, it has revealed information that would have been expensive or impossible to obtain otherwise, the quality of information provided by Ultrasound is high. It is not only about the integrity of the muscles tendon but also its thickness, movement properties, and degree of retraction. Coupled with clinical evaluation, these results are what is need to devise a treatment plan for the patients . Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging has been the primary radiologic examinations used to distinguish between various injuries. However, high-resolution real-time ultrasound (US) has been shown to be an alternative means of examining the post traumatic shoulder. Aim Of The Work:The aim of this work is to compare Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Ultrasonography in assessment of patients with shoulder trauma. Conclusions: US should be increasingly used as the first-line imaging modality in the assessment of post traumatic shoulder disorders, assuming the study is performed with high resolution equipment by an experienced examiner. Further MRI is needed in order to evaluate the joint in more detailed manner; this will eventually assist in choice of the best line of treatment for the patient as well as taking the final surgical decision.