Association Between Acromiohumeral Interval and Isolated Supraspinatus Muscle Tears Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Objective: The authors aimed to investigate the acromiohumeral interval (AHI) using Ellman’s classification in patients with isolated supraspinatus tendon tears. The AHI differences between patients and controls, in addition to controls, partial tears, or total supraspinatus ruptures, were compared concerning AHI differences. Methods: The imaging was performed using a 1.5 Tesla (T) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) device and a shoulder coil. The AHI measurements were determined by taking the average of measurements in 3 different planes. For Ellman’s classification, the grading of the tear was graded based on how much the depth of the tear or the thickness of the tendon was affected. Results: A total of 304 shoulder MRIs meeting the criteria were included in our study. The study included 41.4% (126/304) without rotator cuff pathology, 30.9% (94/304) with grade 1 tear in the isolated supraspinatus tendon, 6.6% (20/304) individuals with grade 2 tear, 11.8% (36/304) with isolated supraspinatus tendon grade 3 tear, and 9.2% (28/304) with grade 4 tear in the isolated supraspinatus tendon. The AHI values in men were found to be statistically significantly higher than in women. The patient group and the control group showed a significant difference regarding the AHI values. The AHI measurements were significantly lower for the patients with total rupture. Conclusion: The AHI values in isolated supraspinatus tendon injuries, including all tear groups, were found to be significantly lower than those in the patients without rupture; however, there was also a significant difference between total and partial-tear groups.