MRI SHOULDER LABRUM CARTILAGE UNDERCUTTING: How is it different to Normal and Tears.
OVERVIEW:
On MRI, Shoulder Undercutting by cartilage of the labrum can result in the appearance of a tear. How do you diagnose this?
A normal MRI of the Shoulder usually demonstrates the labrum firmly attached to the glenoid and cartilage with no gap or abnormal signal between the labrum and the Cartilage (Pink arrow).
When there is a tear high fluid signal extends between the labrum and the glenoid/ cartilage (Blue arrow).
However, there can be intermediate signal (Orange arrow) between the glenoid and the labrum which is an extension of cartilage, undercutting the labrum. This is a normal variation and is not a tear.
HOW DO YOU DIFFERENTIATE CARTILAGE UNDERCUTTING FROM A TEAR:
You can distinguish it from a tear by:
- It's signal which will be the same as adjacent cartilage which is an intermediate signal (Orange arrow).
- And it will be continuous with adjacent glenoid cartilage.
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