Magnetic Resonance Imaging Parameters in Patients with Subacromial Impingement Syndrome

Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal pain complaint in the world with an incidence of 7-30%. Subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS) is the most common cause of shoulder pain. Imaging in impingement syndrome is usually based on different imaging modalities. X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ultrasound are the most commonly used, and MRI is considered by many authors to be the most reliable imaging modality for evaluation of the rotator cuff because it allows evaluation of soft tissues as well as bony abnormalities such as subacromial osteophytes and acromioclavicular joint capsular hypertrophy. MRI allows the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears with greater interobserver reliability than ultrasound in assessing tear size, retraction and atrophy. Few studies have investigated the impact of pathologic findings on MRI on the degree of symptoms and functional impairment seen in these patients. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between shoulder pain and function and MRI findings in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome.