Ultrasonography of the rotator cuff and biceps tendon was investigated
in 106 patients who had been referred for arthrography of the shoulder.
Both the sensitivity and the specificity of ultrasound in detecting a tear
of the rotator cuff were 91 per cent. The predictive value of a negative
sonogram was 95 per cent and the predictive value of a positive sonogram
was 84 per cent. Ultrasonography proved to be superior to arthrography in
the examination of the normal and abnormal biceps tendon. Sonographically
detectable effusions from the tendon sheath of the biceps were present in
19 per cent of this population of patients. This finding was statistically
highly associated (90 per cent) with rotator cuff tears and other
soft-tissue abnormalities of the shoulder. Based on these results, it
appears that ultrasonography can be used as the initial imaging test for
many patients with suspected abnormalities of the rotator cuff or biceps
tendon.