Radiologists miss subscapularis tendon tears in about half of shoulder MRIs. The subscapularis is the largest rotator cuff muscle, located at the front of the shoulder. A specialist review and clinical history improve detection significantly.
Here's the most common thing that's missed on a shoulder MRI: a tear of the subscapularis tendon. The subscapularis is the largest rotator cuff muscle in front of your shoulder, and studies that we have done, as well as others have done, have shown that radiologists unfortunately miss this tear about 50% of the time on an MRI. It's a tough one to pick up, but if you look at it with a shoulder expert who's used to looking at those images, and especially if they can do that in conjunction with history and an examination, the ability to pick up that tear dramatically rises.
