Comparative Study of Sonoelastography and MRI in the Diagnosis of Supraspinatus Tendinopathy (Code-T0093)

Introduction: Supraspinatus tendinopathy is a prevalent shoulder condition characterized by pain and functional limitations, often associated with occupations or activities involving repetitive overhead movements. Accurate diagnosis is essential to guide treatment and improve outcomes. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the gold standard for diagnosing tendinopathy, while sonoelastography (SE) is emerging as a promising complementary tool for assessing tissue stiffness.

Aims & Objective: To compare the diagnostic accuracy of sonoelastography and MRI in detecting supraspinatus tendinopathy and correlate SE findings with MRI grades of tendinopathy.

Methods: This prospective study was conducted in a tertiary care hospital with 50 patients presenting with shoulder pain. MRI and sonoelastography were performed to evaluate supraspinatus tendon pathology. Tendinopathy was graded based on MRI findings, and tissue stiffness was measured using SE strain ratios. Statistical analyses included chi-square and Pearson correlation to assess the relationship between MRI grades and SE findings.

Results: MRI graded tendinopathy from I to IV based on signal intensity changes. SE revealed significant differences in strain ratios corresponding to MRI grades, with higher MRI grades associated with increased stiffness. SE demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity, correlating strongly with MRI findings (p < 0.05).

Conclusion: Sonoelastography shows comparable diagnostic accuracy to MRI in assessing supraspinatus tendinopathy and offers additional insights into tissue stiffness. It serves as a valuable, cost-effective adjunct to MRI, especially in resource-limited settings. Further studies are needed to validate its role in clinical practice.

Keywords: Supraspinatus tendinopathy, Sonoelastography, MRI, Shoulder pain, Tissue stiffness, Rotator cuff.