Shoulder pain and injuries are common in athletes. Overhead athletes, in particular,
place great demands on the shoulder and supporting structures. Magnetic resonance
(MR) imaging is well suited to evaluation of the osseous structures and soft tissues
of the shoulder and plays an important role in evaluation of shoulder pain in athletes.
Primary extrinsic impingement is well evaluated on MR imaging as are the less common
posterior superior glenoid impingement and subcoracoid impingement. Rotator cuff tendinosis
as well as partial- and full-thickness tears are frequently encountered in the athletic
shoulder. The biceps tendon and rotator interval capsular structures are important
sources of shoulder pain. Glenohumeral instability that results from a traumatic event
or atraumatic multidirectional recurrent instability is assessed. The biceps labral
complex is a source of considerable anatomic variability and pathology.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) - shoulder - athletes
