BACKGROUND: The purpose of the study was to evaluate the role of MR arthrography in identification and characterization of normal variants, rotator cuff tears and tears of labroligamentous complex of the glenohumeral joint and compare it with conventional MRI. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: Identification, signal characterization and grading of rotator cuff tears and to detect, localize and characterize tears of the labroligamentous complex and to differentiate them from the normal variants. METHODS:

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... ty three patients in the age group of 18-60 years with history of shoulder instability or persistent pain due to previous injury were prospectively evaluated with conventional MRI followed by MR arthrography. Patients with active joint infection, contrast allergy and joint effusion were excluded from the study. Conventional MRI and MR arthrographic findings were recorded separately and then compared. RESULTS: Statistically significant difference was found between conventional MRI and MR arthrography in the identification and characterization of labroligamentous tears while no statistical difference was found between the two in detection of rotator cuff tears. High incidence of co-occurrence was found between hill-sachs defect and bankart lesions/variants. CONCLUSIONS: MR arthrography is superior to conventional MRI for the delineation of intra-articular structures of the glenohumeral joint and in the detection and characterization of labral tears. Since rotator cuff tears are commoner in older age group in comparison to labral tears which are commoner in patients aged less than 40 years, MR arthrography is the imaging modality of choice in younger age group, irrespective of the clinical indication.