EFFICACY OF PREOPERATIVE MRI IN DETECTING BICEPS TENDON PATHOLOGIES IN ROTATOR CUFF TEARS: CORRELATION OF MRI AND INTRAOPERATIVE FINDINGS

Abstract

Objective The aim of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in detecting biceps lesions in patients with rotator cuff tears. Material and Methods A total of 168 patients operated on between January 2012 and February 2020 were included in the study. All the patients underwent arthroscopic surgery with the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears. All patients were operated on under general anesthesia and in the beach chair position. Demographic data and preoperative MRI findings were recorded. Arthroscopic findings were accepted as the standard reference and correlated with preoperative MRI records. Results In preoperative images, full-thickness rotator cuff tears were identified in 118 (70.2%) cases and partialthickness tears in 50 (29.8%) cases. Labrum/SLAP lesions were detected in 18 (10.7%) cases. Biceps disorders were reported in 51 (30.4%) cases. During the surgeries, we observed additional pathologies in 41 (24.4%) cases besides the preoperatively detected lesions. Rotator cuff and labrum/SLAP repairs were performed in the same surgical sessions. The majority of newly detected lesions were biceps lesions, being identified in 26 (15.5%) cases. In 41 (24.2%) cases tenodesis, tenolysis, or tenotomy were performed for biceps lesions. LHBT surgery was performed in 26 cases with negative MRI. Biceps lesions were confirmed in 77 (45.8%) cases intraoperatively; therefore, the accuracy of MRI in detecting these lesions was 66.2%. Conclusion Biceps lesions are among the common pathologies of the shoulder. Preoperative MRI is important in evaluation of the shoulder, but the efficacy of MRI may be limited in detecting biceps disorders. Arthroscopic surgery is crucial in diagnosis and treatment of LHBT lesions.