Athlete shoulder injuries: CT arthrographic findings

• Published in: Radiology Vol. 162; no. 2; p. 559
• Main Authors: Rafii, M, Firooznia, H, Bonamo, J J, Minkoff, J, Golimbu, C
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States 01.02.1987
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Athletic Injuries - diagnostic imaging; Female; Humans; Joint Instability - diagnostic imaging; Male; Middle Aged; Shoulder Dislocation - diagnostic imaging; Shoulder Joint - diagnostic imaging; Shoulder Joint - injuries; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 0033-8419
• DOI: 10.1148/radiology.162.2.3797672

Forty-three professional and amateur athletes with persistent shoulder pain that interfered with their sports activities were evaluated by computed tomographic (CT) arthrography. In 19 patients, glenohumeral instability (14 anterior, two posterior, three multidirectional) was diagnosed with CT arthrography based on the simultaneous presence of labral and capsular lesions. The findings were crucial in establishing the diagnosis of instability in six patients in whom the condition was not suggested or could not be confirmed clinically. Another significant injury consisted of labral lesions not associated with glenohumeral instability. These tears often involved the anterior and parasuperior segments of this structure. Other, less frequently detected lesions included segmental labral enlargement and several labra with abnormal orientation (everted labrum). Early onset of degenerative disease was present in many athletes, especially those with a long history of sports activity. CT arthrographic findings were correlated with arthroscopic or surgical results in 19 patients.