Role of magnetic resonance in shoulder disease

Next to the knee, the shoulder is the most common joint to be referred for MRI. Excellent soft tissue contrast and multiplanar acquisition provide optimal assessment of muscle, tendons, hyaline and fibrous cartilage, joint capsule, fat, bursae and bone marrow. In this article the most common indications for shoulder MRI are reviewed and discussed, but we focused primarily on the rotator cuff syndrome and shoulder instability. Correct diagnosis requires the use of appropriate pulse sequences and imaging planes, proper patient positioning, and a satisfactory surface coil. Moreover, technical improvements continuously augment the ability of MRI to study the shoulder; for example Magnetic Resonance arthrography is superior to the other imaging techniques in evaluation of glenohumeral joint. This interdependence between technical development in MRI and clinical advance in shoulder therapy ensures that MRI will continue to play an important role in the routine management of patients with shoulder disease.