Marco Vicari1,2, Kaywan Izadpanah3,
Norbert P. Suedkamp3, Matthias Weigel4, Matthias Honal4,
Elisabeth Weitzel3, Elmar Kotter5, Mathias Langer5,
Jan T. Winterer5
1MRI R&D, Esaote S.p.A.
, Genova, Italy; 2Dept. of Radiology, Medical Physics , University
Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; 3Dept. of Orthopeadic
& Trauma Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany; 4Dept.
of Radiology, Medical Physics, University Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg,
Germany; 5Dept. of Radiology, Clinical Radiology, University
Medical Center Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany
Currently, clinical evaluation, plain and weighted radiography are the gold standard for acromioclavicular joint injury grading. A detailed injury identification is sometimes lacking and this might explain the high percentage of persisting or recurrent joint instability after conservative or operative treatment. Biomechanical tests have shown the importance of a complete anatomic reconstruction of all ligamentous stabilizers, whose planning requires detailed morphologic information. Since weight-bearing shoulder MRI enables simultaneous acquisition of morphology and functional integrity information of all stabilizers of the acromioclavicular joint, both in acute and chronic injuries, it may improve the injury classification accuracy of borderline cases and, thus, the therapeutic decision making efficacy.
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