MRI scans are frequently used to evaluate the internal structures of the shoulder.
A variety of trends have increased the use of MRI in evaluating the shoulder
- more sports activity, repetitive motion injuries, and we've remained
much more active into our later years than previous generations.
If
you've injured your shoulder or have chronic shoulder pain, your doctor will
probably first order an x-ray. After an x-ray, an MRI may be needed to
evaluate the internal structures of the shoulder. On your doctor's order
for the MRI you might see:
"r/o rotator cuff tear" -
the rotator cuff is a group of muscles, ligaments and tendons that stabilize and move your shoulder. These structures are frequently injured or damaged over time. The most commonly injured tendon is that of the supraspinatus muscle.
"r/o labral tear"-
this refers to injury to the cartilage in your shoulder joint. The labrum stabilizes the shoulder and can be torn. Labral tears cause pain and "catching."
"r/o djd" - djd is short for degenerative joint disease. It is a generic term that is used to look for a number of shoulder problems including chronic changes to the tendons, ligaments, and bones.
(FYI - "r/o" is short for "rule out")
An MRI of the shoulder will evaluate:
Bones
A shoulder MRI will include the ball and joint socket of the shoulder (humerus and glenoid), parts of the scapula and upper arm. The shoulder MRI can detect bone fractures,
tumors, infection and evaluate post-surgical changes. An MRI can also
determine the extent of degenerative changes (arthritis) and be used
for pre-operative planning for surgery.
Cartilage and Labrum
Shoulder MRIs can also evaluate the cartilage of the shoulder joint and the labrum. The labrum is a stabilizing piece of cartilage which can be torn or irritated and cause pain.
Tendons and Ligaments
Your shoulder is stabilized and moves via complex set of tendons and ligaments. These can be frequently torn, partially torn or exhibit signs of age (degeneration) that leads to pain or difficulty in moving the shoulder joint. The rotator cuff includes the group of tendons around the shoulder joint.
Soft Tissues
Soft tissues visualized include muscles such as the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, deltoid, subscapularis, and teres minor. MRI can detect muscle tears, strain, atrophy, tumors and infection. Shoulder MRI can also detect joint fluid, lymph nodes in the axilla (armpit) tumors or cysts in the suprascapular notch (this is a small pathway through which a nerve passes to supply muscles of the back of your shoulder).
Your Shoulder MRI Scan
A shoulder MRI generally takes about 30 minutes or so to complete. If you are
going for one, wear loose comfortable clothing and remember to remove
all metal (jewelry, phones, rings, etc) before going into the MRI scan
room. If you've had surgery or have a history of cancer, you'll probably have the test done with IV MRI contrast. Some shoulder MRIs are done after a direct injection of contrast into the joint. This is called an MR Arthrogram of the Shoulder.
If you're insured, you may need to have your test authorized (approved) by your insurance company first. If you're uninsured and need to look up prices and buy an MRI scan of the shoulder, you can use our website to look up MRI scan costs.
Have you had a Shoulder MRI scan? What was it like? Please leave your comments below.