Background : Shoulder pain is a common problem that can pose difficult diagnostic and therapeutic challenges for the family physician It is the third most common musculoskeletal complaint in the general population, and account for 5% of all general practitioners musculoskeletal consults
Objective: To determine the diagnostic performance of ultrasonography compared with the physical examination for detection of rotator cuff tears in painful shoulder syndrome.
Method: Prospective study was done on seventy patients (48 male, 22 female), age ranged between 30-70 years (mean age 50 years), From February 2007 to July 2011, were subjected to comparative study in Al-Kindy teaching hospital with rotator cuff tears, including physical and ultrasonographic examination.
Result: Ultrasound examination confirmed the presence of rotator cuff tear in 58 patients (82.8%), about two third of them below age 40 (65.7%) and male gender (68.6%).
Conclusion: Ultrasonography which is non-invasive, safe; cheap with no known risk like radiation is a sensitive and accurate method of identifying patients with rotator cuff tears, and should be used wherever possible to improve diagnosis and treatment of painful shoulder disorders.
Ultrasound of the Rotator Cuff: A Comparison of Ultrasonographic and Physical Examination Finding in Seventy Consecutive Cases
rotator cuff tear
physical examination and ultrasound