MRI technology continues to improve with each new version in the market place. These improvements have allowed the imaging technology to better define the structures in the body.
In the musculoskeletal system these technologies have allowed clinicians to identify injured tissues which may contribute to a patient’s painful presentation. MRIs have also been shown to detect similar tissue changes in both painful and pain free individuals. For example, disc pathology in the spine and tears in rotator cuffs of people without symptoms. A recent review of the medical evidence describes how commonly MRIs detect tissue abnormalities in asymptomatic shoulders.
Sanders and colleagues published a systematic review on the prevalence of shoulder abnormalities in patients without symptoms (JOSPT. 2025). Researchers included 53 studies on imaging (29 ultrasound and 24 MRI) of the shoulder in this population. They reported full thickness rotator cuff tears were found in up to 35% of the population and 22% of athletes, both groups were asymptomatic. They reported tendinopathy was present in up to 47% and 100% of general population and athletic populations, respectively. Authors concluded “the prevalence of rotator cuff imaging abnormalities in asymptomatic shoulders ranged from 0% to 100%”.
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