MRI evaluation of patients with shoulder pain at three imaging centres in Nairobi

Abstract

Background: Shoulder pain is a common reason for visiting a physician. It is the third most common cause of musculoskeletal complaint after low back pain and cervical pain in the USA. No data is available on MRI findings among our local population with shoulder pain despite having an MRI  machine in our country since 1996.

Objective: To establish the pattern of findings seen at MR imaging among patients with shoulder pain at three imaging centers in Nairobi.

Design: This was a cross sectional descriptive study.

Methodology: The study was conducted for a period of six months between June 2008 and December 2008. Seventy patients referred for MR imaging were scanned at the three imaging centers. The date of scanning, age, sex and referring clinician were documented. The MR findings were  documented. The data was analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Scientists (SPSS-Version 13.0).

Results: There were 38 (54.3%) male and 32(45.7%) female patients  scanned. The age ranged from 20 to 86 years. The mean age was 48 years. Majority of the patients were aged 46 – 60 years. Patients below
30 years were 9 (12.9%) and over 30 years were 61(87.1%). Most patients referred for examination had pathology in the right shoulder. The  commonest lesion was tendinosis with 34 (47.2%) cases and was seen more on the right shoulder. There were 20 (27.8%) rotator cuff tears that mostly involved the supraspinatus tendon. Degenerative disease was found in13 (18.6%) patients.

Conclusion: Among the patients examined the right shoulder had more pathology than the left. Tendinosis of the supraspinatus tendon was the commonest pathology. In rotator cuff tears, supraspinatus was more  frequently involved.