Shoulder pain and disability: comparison with MR findings.

Abstract

The objective of our study was to compare the level of disability induced by shoulder pain as reported by patients on the L'Insalata Self-Administered Questionnaire (SAQ) with shoulder MRI results. One thousand seventy-nine consecutive patients referred for shoulder MRI were asked to complete the L'Insalata SAQ. Results from the L'Insalata SAQ and MRI were cross-tabulated and analyzed with multivariable linear regression. No statistical relationship could be found between the level of pain, impairment, and disability as reported on the L'Insalata SAQ and the location and size of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff as observed on MRI. Pain and disability are significantly linked to the presence of supraspinatus tendon lesions and the presence of bursitis, but these factors contribute little to the symptoms. Patients with biceps tendinopathy did not experience increased pain when compared with patients without biceps tendinopathy or with biceps tendon rupture. No statistical relationship was found between the level of pain and disability and the size and location of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff.