title: Reliability of MRI assessment of supraspinatus tendinopathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of the interpretation of MRIs for supraspinatus tendinosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the interobserver trial, the MRIs of 52 athletes' shoulders were observed by 3 observers on one occasion within a 2-month period. All 52 images were read by the most experienced musculoskeletal radiologist on 3 different occasions on separate days without access to the previous readings for the intraobserver trial. Supraspinatus tendinosis was graded using a modified 4-point scale from grades 0 to grade 3.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The grading of MRI-determined supraspinatus tendinosis was reliable, having an intraclass correlation (ICC) of 0.85 when assessed by the single well-trained observer. Interobserver reliability was only fair to good (ICC = 0.55).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Supraspinatus tendinosis can be accurately identified on MRI with little variation by a single well-trained observer. Interobserver reliability was only fair to good. Our data indicated that the reliability of the assessment was much greater in more experienced radiologists than in those with less experience.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Research Institute, University of New South Wales, St George Hospital, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Mya Lay
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Sein
authors.forename: Judie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Walton
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Linklater
authors.forename: Craig
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Harris
authors.forename: Tej
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Dugal
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Appleyard
authors.forename: Brent
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kirkbride
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kuah
authors.forename: George A C
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Murrell
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000473:pathology*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D013550:Swimming / Q000293:injuries*; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*