Background:  Patients with shoulder disorders experience significant disability and reduced quality of life. For people over 65 years of age, shoulder pain is the most common musculoskeletal problem. MRI has been considered as the imaging modality of choice for evaluating the rotator cuff tears despite of its relatively high cost and limited availability. However, technical improvements such as 7.5 - 14 MHz transducers and better penetration of the ultrasound beam significantly improved ultrasonographic results. The reliability and reproducibility of shoulder ultrasonography makes it a more trustworthy diagnostic option. The present study aims to compare the accuracy of USG with MRI.

Materials and Methods: Designed as diagnostic test evaluation, among 60 patients who underwent MR imaging of shoulder at Govt, medical college hospital, Thrissur with suspicion of rotator cuff tear.Later these patients were subjected to shoulder ultrasonography. After completing both studies, sonographic findings were correlated with MRI results.

Results: The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for detecting full thickness rotator cuff tears with USG were 93.54%, 89.6% and 91.67%. The sensitivity and specificity for detecting partial thickness rotator cuff tears with USG were 86.9% and 89.1%.

Conclusion: USG is a very useful non-invasive imaging modality having high sensitivity and specificity   in the diagnosis of rotator cuff tendon tears. USG can be a better alternative to MRI in case of rotator cuff tendon tears

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Abhilash Babu T.G

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