[Ultrasound findings after shoulder dislocation].

AIM: Sonography of the shoulder is an effective method for detecting tears of the rotator cuff and bone lesions. The purpose of this study was to evaluate prospectively the sonographic findings after shoulder dislocation.

METHODS

Sonography was performed on 208 patients with 210 shoulder dislocations, which were all verified by radiography.

RESULTS

We diagnosed 62 rotator cuff lesions (29.5%), which were all in the group with traumatic shoulder dislocation. The incidence of tears in patients with first traumatic dislocation (n = 134) was 36.5%. 12 tears (21.8%) of the rotator cuff were noted in recurrent dislocations (n = 55). 23 fractures or bony avulsions of the greater tuberosity of the humerus (11%) and 168 Hill-Sachs lesions (80%) were seen.

CONCLUSION

Sonographic examination of the shoulder revealed a significant amount of information that would remain undetected without the aid of expensive and/or invasive diagnostic tools.