Ultrasonography (US) isn’t just for looking at babies in the womb. According to researchers, US should be preferred over magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) for diagnosing rotator cuff tears.
Researchers noted that the three techniques all produce similar results, and considering the price and availability, ultrasound technology sound be the preferred diagnostic method.
“Diagnostic accuracy of US, MRI and MRA in characterization of full-thickness rotator cuff tears is high and similar between the three imaging systems,” said lead author Dr. Jean-Sébastien Roy. “However, when considering cost and availability, ultrasonography is less expensive and can be used at the point of care to perform the diagnoses. Therefore, when considering accuracy, cost, and availability, US is likely be the best option in most settings.”
Rotator Research
For their study, researchers looked at a collection of 82 studies which used one of the three techniques to diagnose a rotator cuff injury. More than 5,300 shoulders were examined for suspected full and partial tears. After comparing the data, researchers uncovered:
- The accuracy of the three devices were very similar, with sensitivities between 0.90 and 0.91 and specificities from 0.93 to 0.95 for full-thickness tears.
- Sensitivities were not as high for partial tears, but specificites remained similar.
- MRI and MRA scans typically run in in the $1,200-$3,000 range, while ultrasounds are typically only a couple hundred dollars.
“These imaging systems (…) should be used for the confirmation of full-thickness rotator cuff tears in patients already suspected of having those problems on the basis of clinical evaluation tests in acute cases where surgery might be considered rapidly or in situations where conservative treatments have failed,” Dr. Roy said.
Dr Silverman comments
This is a pretty great study. I make a lot of my diagnoses through the use of ultrasound technology. Many times the underlying injury can be seen on an ultrasound, and this method gives the surgeon an accurate picture of the problem and keeps costs down for the patient.
Ultrasound technology is a win-win. I’m going to keep track of the types of injuries I can diagnose through ultrasound so patients can have a better idea of the options available to them.
Related source: Medscape