title: Sonography of chondral print on humeral head.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study is to determine the diagnostic accuracy of sonography in order to identify the chondral print on the humeral head.
  
  
  METHODS
  In total, 44 patients who had already been candidates for arthroscopic surgery were prospectively studied with ultrasound to assess the presence of humeral subchondral erosion at the level of the biceps pulley; no patient had undergone previous surgery or radiographic calcification of rotator cuff tendons. Using arthroscopy as the reference standard the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, negative predictive and diagnostic accuracy values were calculated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 44 patients, arthroscopy showed the humeral chondral print in 30 patients. Of the 30 arthroscopy proven humeral chondral prints, ultrasound identified 28 subchondral erosions at the same level, with two false negatives. One of the 14 patients without arthroscopic humeral chondral print was positive for subchondral erosion at ultrasound. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive, negative predictive, and diagnostic accuracy values of ultrasound were respectively of 93, 93, 96, 87 and 93%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasound has a good diagnostic accuracy in identifying the chondral print sign.
authors: Dipartimento di Medicina e di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy. marcellozappia1@tin.it.
authors: Marcello
authors: M
authors: Zappia
authors: Diagnostica Amato, San Marcellino, CE, Italy.
authors: Michela
authors: M
authors: Carfora
authors: Campolongo Hospital, Marina di Eboli, SA, Italy.
authors: Alfonso Maria
authors: AM
authors: Romano
authors: Dipartimento Magrassi-Lanzara, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Napoli, Italy.
authors: Alfonso
authors: A
authors: Reginelli
authors: Dipartimento di Medicina e di Scienze della Salute, Università degli Studi del Molise, Campobasso, Italy.
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Brunese
authors: Dipartimento Magrassi-Lanzara, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Napoli, Italy.
authors: Antonio
authors: A
authors: Rotondo
authors: Humanitas Research Hospital, Rozzano, Milan, Italy.
authors: Alessandro
authors: A
authors: Castagna
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D006801:Humans; D058430:Humeral Head / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D007593:Joint Instability / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012783:Shoulder Dislocation / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013710:Tendons / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Biceps pulley; Hidden lesion; Long head biceps tendon (LHB) instability; Shoulder; Ultrasound