PURPOSE: To test previously defined ultrasound (US) criteria for ident
ification of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. MATERIALS AN
D METHODS: Before shoulder arthroscopy, 52 patients with shoulder pain
for more than 3 months were examined with a 7.5-MHz commercially avai
lable linear-array transducer and a standardized study protocol. The c
riteria used to detect partial-thickness tears were (a) a mixed hyper-
and hypoechoic focus in the crucial zone of the supraspinatus tendon
and (b) a hypoechoic lesion visualized in two orthogonal imaging plane
s with either articular or bursal extension. RESULTS: The US findings
were reported as partial-thickness tears in 17 shoulders, of which thr
ee were false-positive findings. There was one false-negative finding.
The sensitivity of US in depiction of partial-thickness tears was 93%
, and specificity was 94%. The positive predictive value was 82%, and
the negative predictive value was 98%. CONCLUSION: US can depict most
partial-thickness tears with use of the criteria described.