title: The detection of full thickness rotator cuff tears using ultrasound.
abstract: We have examined the accuracy of 143 consecutive ultrasound scans of patients who subsequently underwent shoulder arthroscopy for rotator-cuff disease. All the scans and subsequent surgery were performed by an orthopaedic surgeon using a portable ultrasound scanner in a one-stop clinic. There were 78 full thickness tears which we confirmed by surgery or MRI. Three moderate-size tears were assessed as partial-thickness at ultrasound scan (false negative) giving a sensitivity of 96.2%. One partially torn and two intact cuffs were over-diagnosed as small full-thickness tears by ultrasound scan (false positive) giving a specificity of 95.4%. This gave a positive predictive value of 96.2% and a negative predictive value of 95.4%. Estimation of tear size was more accurate for large and massive tears at 96.5% than for moderate (88.8%) and small tears (91.6%). These results are equivalent to those obtained by several studies undertaken by experienced radiologists. We conclude that ultrasound imaging of the shoulder performed by a sufficiently-trained orthopaedic surgeon is a reliable time-saving practice to identify rotator-cuff integrity.
authors.affiliation: Princess Elizabeth Orthopaedic Centre, Exeter, England.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Al-Shawi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Badge
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bunker
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000379:methods; D002983:Clinical Competence / Q000592:standards; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009985:Orthopedics / Q000592:standards; D011446:Prospective Studies; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D015599:Trauma Severity Indices; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014463:Ultrasonography