BRIDGING IMAGING MODALITIES: CORRELATION OF ULTRASOUND AND MRI IN SHOULDER PATHOLOGY

This study assessed the effectiveness of ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing shoulder pathologies in 70 patients presenting with shoulder pain. MRI emerged as the more sensitive and specic modality overall, particularly for partial-thickness rotator cuff tears and tendinopathy, with sensitivities of 81.82% and 100%, respectively, compared to 66.66% and 64.29% for US. Both imaging techniques showed similar sensitivities for detecting full-thickness rotator cuff tears (91.67% for US and 92.31% for MRI). MRI also provided superior detail for identifying labral tears and uid accumulation. Although MRI offers enhanced diagnostic accuracy, its higher cost and limited availability are notable drawbacks. Conversely, US remains a valuable screening tool due to its lower cost, quicker examination, and realtime imaging capabilities, making it especially useful when MRI is not accessible or feasible. Thus, while MRI is preferred for denitive diagnoses, US serves as an effective, cost-efcient rst-line tool for assessing shoulder pathologies.