Frequency of supraspinatus tear and its association with reduced acromiohumeral interval using magnetic resonance imaging

Background: Supraspinatus tendon tears are a common cause of chronic shoulder pain and functional limitation. An acromiohumeral interval (AHI) less than normal may be a useful radiologic marker for tendon pathology, as the humeral head migrates superiorly due to rotator cuff insufficiency. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is the modality of choice for evaluating supraspinatus integrity as well as AHI due to the high soft tissue contrast and multiplanar capabilities. Objective: The aim was to report the prevalence of supraspinatus tendon tears in patients with pain and shoulder MRI and the prevalence of reduced acromiohumeral interval (AHI) in patients who present with shoulder pain. Methodology: This was a cross sectional study that was carried out at Diagnostic Radiology Department of Al-Noor Diagnostic Center Shadman Lahore from February 2026 to May 2026.. Patients were recruited from non-probability consecutive sampling with 185 patients aged >18 years with shoulder pain who were referred for MRI. MRI was done on a 1.5 Tesla scanner. Supraspinatus tears were diagnosed on proton density fat suppressed sequences and T2 weighted sequences. The measurement of AHI was taken on an oblique coronal section as the smallest distance between the acromion and the humeral head. AHI <7 mm was regarded as decreased. Demographic and clinical data also were documented. The data were analyzed by SPSS version 25. Results: Supraspinatus tears are expected to be more common in symptomatic patients and that patients with a reduced AHI will be more likely to have a complete tear than those with a partial or no tear. There may also be a relationship between older age and lower AHI values, as well as longer symptom duration and lower AHI values. Conclusion: MRI has the potential to improve the diagnostic accuracy in patients with shoulder pain suspected to have a supraspinatus tear and/or AHI. Reduced AHI may be an indirect imaging indicator of the severity of tears, which can help inform the early management and treatment plan for chronic rotator cuff dysfunction.