Magnetic resonance imaging without contrast as a diagnostic method for partial injury of the long head of the biceps tendon☆

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) without contrast as a diagnostic method of partial lesions of the long head of the biceps, using arthroscopic surgery as the gold standard. METHODS We evaluated data from MRI and arthroscopic surgical findings of patients operated due to rotator cuff and SLAP injuries. MRI without contrast of at least 1.5 T, with a radiologist report, was used as a criterion for the detection of long head of the biceps injury. All cases were operated by the same surgeon at this hospital. RESULTS This study evaluated data from 965 patients, 311 women (32%) and 654 men (68%), with a mean age of 45 years, who underwent arthroscopic surgery for rotator cuff and SLAP repair from September 2012 to September 2015. Overall, the sensitivity and specificity of MRI was 0.22 (CI: 0.17-0.26) and 0.98 (CI: 0.96-0.99), respectively. CONCLUSIONS MRI has a low sensitivity and high specificity for detection of partial tears of the long head of the biceps tendon.