Clinical Value of Multimodal imaging methods in the preoperative diagnosis of rotator cuff tears under arthroscopy

Abstract

Abstract Background:The current study aimed to evaluate the clinical value of conventional ultrasound(C-US),percutaneous ultrasound-guided subacromial bursography (PUSB), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and their combined imaging application in the preoperative arthroscopic diagnosis of rotator cuff tears(RCTs). Methods:A total of 120 patients with suspected RCTs were included in this study. The cohort consisted of 38 males and 82 females participants, ranging in age from 14 to 77 years,with an average age of 56.9 ± 11.1 years.Prior to surgery, all patients underwent C-US, P-CEUS, and MRI. Subsequently, the imaging data were subjected to retrospective analysis. With shoulder arthroscopy as the "gold standard", the diagnostic efficacy of multimodal imaging methods for RCTs was assessed. Results:The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of C-US in the diagnosis of RCTs were 52%, 64% and 55%, For PUSB, specificity, specificity and accuracy in the diagnosis of RCTs were 90%, 80% and 88%, MRI, on the other hand, demonstrated a sensitivity of 91%, specificity of 84%, and accuracy of 90% in diagnosing RCTs. Notably, when the three imaging modalities were combined, the diagnostic performance significantly improved. The combined approach yielded a sensitivity of 99%, specificity of 92%, and accuracy of 97% in diagnosing RCTs, surpassing the performance of any single imaging method. These results highlight the enhanced diagnostic capability achieved through the utilization of multiple imaging modalities. Conclusion:Multimodal imaging is of high diagnostic value in RCTs, and can accurately determine the location and degree of RCTs, which can be an important reference for improving arthroscopic surgery.