Evaluation of Shoulder Injuries: A Comparative Study of Imaging by Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Magnetic Resonance Arthrography (MRA).

Background: In contrast to the standard shoulder arthroscopy, current radio-diagnostic techniques like magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provide less invasive intricate structural detail of shoulder anatomy.

Objectives: Comparison of efficacy of MRA and MRI for diagnosing suspected rotator cuff injury.

Materials And Methods: Over the course of 4 years (from June 2017 to June 2021), a comparative study, including 100 individuals with suspected rotator cuff pathology, was conducted. For the evaluation of shoulder injuries, the assessment and comparison of MRA and MRI were done in terms of sensitivity (Sn), positive predictive value (PPV), and diagnostic accuracy (DA).

Results: MRI and MRA were positive in 76 (76%) and 98 (98%) patients, respectively. The Sn and PPV of MRI for diagnosing the shoulder injury were 76% and 100%, respectively, whereas the Sn and PPV of MRA were 98% and 100%, respectively. MRA was better than MRI in terms of diagnostic accuracy (98% vs. 76%, = 0.03).

Conclusion: MRA is a nonsurgical effective method in evaluating and diagnosing rotator cuff injuries in comparison to MRI.