Postoperative Imaging

Other reasons for postoperative imaging include recurrent persistent pain in the shoulder, continuous dislocation, small tears in the tissue that may not have been detected during surgery, or fragments of bone that remain after a fracture. There are different scenarios in which this type of imaging can be done, mainly to see if a fracture has healed correctly and is in the right place. Depending on the injury, various types of imaging can be used.

Magnetic resonance images (MRI) are commonly used for shoulder related trauma imaging, but where metal implants and complex bone injuries are concerned, computed technology (CT) scanning is most effective. Interpreting the results can be difficult due to rearranged anatomy of the shoulder or implemented metal artefacts. Normally an MRI scan will be done first, followed by a CT scan if it is unreadable. 

References:

• iRefer Guidelines https://www.irefer.org.uk/guidelines [Accessed 10 November 2020]

• Pierce, J. et al., 2016. Postoperative Shoulder Imaging: Rotator Cuff, Labrum, And Biceps Tendon | Radiographics. [online] Pubs.rsna.org. Available at: https://pubs.rsna.org/doi/full/10.1148/rg.2016160023 [Accessed 12 October 2020].