Rotator cuff: evaluation with fast spin-echo versus conventional spin-echo MR imaging.
OBJECTIVE
To determine if fast spin-echo (SE) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging can provide similar information to that of conventional SE imaging for evaluation of the rotator cuff.


METHODS
One hundred twenty-six patients underwent MR imaging with conventional SE and non-fat-suppressed fast SE sequences (65 patients) or conventional SE and fat-suppressed fast SE sequences (61 patients). Two radiologists independently graded the rotator cuff with separate and side-by-side assessment of the fast SE and conventional SE images.


RESULTS
For detection of full-thickness tears, agreement between non-fat-suppressed fast SE and conventional SE images was 93.8% (kappa = 0.78 [good]) and 95.4% (kappa = 0.82 [very good]) for the two readers, respectively, and agreement between fat-suppressed fast SE and conventional SE images was 98.4% (kappa = 0.96 [very good]) and 91.8% (kappa = 0.73 [good]) for the two readers, respectively. Rotator cuff grading was similar for fast SE and conventional SE: weighted kappa = 0.77 (good) and 0.68 (good) for non-fat-suppressed and weighted kappa = 0.83 (very good) and 0.67 (good) for fat-suppressed fast SE images for the two readers, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
Fast SE sequences yield similar interpretations as those obtained with a conventional SE sequence for evaluation of the rotator cuff.
Carrino
J A
JA
Department of Radiology, Wilford Hall Medical Center, Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX 78236-5300, USA.
McCauley
T R
TR
Katz
L D
LD
Smith
R C
RC
Lange
R C
RC
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005189:False Positive Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000473:pathology*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis