Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the false-negative rate in the diagnosis of superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesions on unenhanced 1.5-T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of the medical records of 24 patients who regularly engaged in physical activity and underwent surgery for reconstruction of the rotator cuff or for glenohumeral instability, comparing the result of the MRI examination with the intraoperative findings. RESULTS: Eighteen patients (75%) were male and six (25%) were female. False-negative results for SLAP lesions were observed in 83% of the MRI examinations. CONCLUSION: For SLAP-type lesions, MRI has low diagnostic sensitivity. Arthroscopy appears to be the most efficient tool for the diagnosis of such lesions.