Clinical assessment and magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder of patients with spinal cord injury

OBJECTIVE To study the shoulder of this group of patients using magnetic resonance imaging to detect clinical and subclinical disorders and establish a rehabilitation program. METHODS Nine patients with spinal cord injury followed in the Laboratory of Biomechanics and Rehabilitation of the Locomotive System at HC/UNICAMP were divided into two groups according to the presence of paraplegia and tetraplegia and were clinically assessed for correlation with the imaging exams. RESULTS Normal results were found in 41% of the shoulders. Most common injuries were tendinopathy of the supraspinatus and acromioclavicular joint degeneration. Eighty percent of injured shoulders had combined lesions. CONCLUSION A great variety of causes of shoulder pain was identified in paraplegic and tetraplegic subjects. Routine clinical assessment and imaging studies of the shoulder may contribute to the evolution of rehabilitation and reduction of pain and musculoskeletal disorders. Level of Evidence II, Development of Diagnostic Criteria on Consecutive Patients, With Universally Applied Reference "Gold" Standard.