DISTRIBUTION OF NORMAL AND ABNORMAL FLUID COLLECTIONS IN THE GLENOHUMERAL JOINT - IMPLICATIONS FOR MR ARTHROGRAPHY

Although magnetic resonance (MR) images of the glenohumeral joint freq uently demonstrate intraarticular fluid, no specific criteria have, to the authors' knowledge, been published that allow accurate assessment of the amount of fluid present. Also, despite the increasing use of M R arthrography of the shoulder, the optimal amount of intraarticular f luid that should be used with this technique has not been determined. The authors progressively distended the glenohumeral joint in six cada veric shoulder specimens with a dilute gadopentetate dimeglumine solut ion and obtained MR images after injection of 2, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mL of the solution. The pattern of fluid distribution was evaluated, and these results were then used to estimate the amount of fluid that was present in the glenohumeral joint on MR images of 20 shoulders obtaine d in 12 asymptomatic volunteers. In 14 of these shoulders, intraarticu lar fluid was present; however, in none was more than 2 mL evident. Re sults of the cadaveric study also indicated that 15 mL of intraarticul ar fluid appears to be the optimal amount for MR arthrography.