Shoulder
The rotator cuff is the collection of muscles and tendons which
support and move the upper arm. Pain in the shoulder, particularly
when there is also the inability to raise the arm fully, is often
due to disease of the rotator cuff. Rotator cuff disease is well
shown by MRI.
One of the main components of the rotator cuff is the supraspinatus
muscle, which lies immediately above the shoulder and is the muscle
mainly responsible for lifting the arm, once movement has been initiated
by the deltoid muscle.
Partial or complete tears of the supraspinatus tendon are common
and usually give rise to pain on certain shoulder movements. If
there is a complete a tear of the supraspinatus tendon then arm
movement is initially very restricted but over time other muscles
can take over and some movements will return. Supraspinatus tendon
disease is often due to pressure on the tendon from the acromion
processm, a part of the scapula adjacent to the supraspinatus tendon,
which can compress the tendon against the head of the humerus (upper
arm bone) .
MRI will show whether there is supraspinatus tendon disease, and
if so whether this is due to a surgically correctable condition.
A number of other conditions which can also affect the shoulder,
such as osteoarthritis, inflammation, fractures, tumours and infection
will also be identified by MRI. |
