title: [Ultrasound imaging of the ventrocaudal labrum in ventral instability of the shoulder].
abstract: The significance of the anterior capsulolabral complex in anterior shoulder instability is well established. In cases of detachment of the ventrocaudal capsulolabral complex, definitive stability can be achieved only by operative refixation. These structures can only be imaged by invasive and cost-intensive methods such as MR arthrography and CT arthrography. We introduce an examination by ultrasonography: a 7.5 MHz linear transducer is used. The patient is in the supine position and both arms are abducted and externally rotated. The transducer is placed in the longitudinal direction, parallel to the border of the pectoral muscle with a ventrocaudal tilt. From March 1992 to October 1994 a number of 88 patients were preoperatively subjected to ultrasound examination before operative stabilization or arthroscopy. Eighty-three of the results were evaluable. Sixty-nine of the examinations showed evidence of detachment of the ligaments; 68 of them were confirmed operatively; 14 of the examinations showed no evidence of detachment; 12 of these results proved true operatively (sensitivity: 97.7%, specificity 92.3%). The sonographic procedure introduced seems to be valuable in detecting the Bankart lesion in anterior instability of the shoulder.
authors.affiliation: Abteilung für Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Stuttgart.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wittner
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Holz
mesh_terms: D001182:Arthroscopy; D006801:Humans; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012783:Shoulder Dislocation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014159:Transducers; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000295:instrumentation*