Sonography for the office screening of suspected rotator cuff tears: early experience of the orthopedic surgeon.

This study examined the feasibility of orthopedic surgeons performing sonography of the shoulder at the initial office evaluation of the rotator cuff and assessed the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of sonography for the detection of tears in the rotator cuff. Initial results in 24 patients suggest that sonography by the orthopedic surgeon is feasible and that it detects tears in the rotator cuff with sufficient accuracy for clinical decision making.