Fatty muscle infiltration in cufftear: Pre and post operative evaluation by MRI

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate the fatty infiltration and atrophy of the supraespinatus in the pre- and postoperative of a rotator cufflesion (RCL), by MRI. Methods: Ten patients with full-thickness rotator cufftears who had undergone surgical arthroscopic rotator cuffrepair between September and December 2011 were included. This is a prospective study, with analysis and comparison of fatty infiltration and atrophy of the supraespinatus. The occupation ratio was measured using the magic selection tool in Adobe Photoshop CS3® on T1 oblique sagittal Y-view MRI. Through Photoshop, the proportion occupied by the muscle belly regarding its fossae was calculated. Results: There was a statistically significant increase in the muscle ratio (p=0.013) comparing images pre and postoperative, analyzed by the Wilcoxon T test. Conclusion: The proportion of the supraspinal muscle above the pit increases in the immediate postoperative period, probably due to the traction exerted on the tendon at the time of repair.