O uso de exame de imagem no processo de tomada de decisão clínica: uma correlação entre os achados de exames e a sintomatologia relacionada ao complexo do ombro

Abstract

Preceded only by low back pain, shoulder pain is the second cause of skeletal muscle pain complaint. Symptoms are usually related to structures between the glenohumeral joint and the coracoacromial arch. These complaints are usually associated with joint overload, mostly during work activities. Structural changes are often found in imaging studies of the shoulder complex, even in individuals with no symptoms. Understanding and finding a relationship between imaging and symptoms is a challenging and essential task for clinical decision making.The improper use of imaging exams without clinical data may decrease the effectiveness of the treatment and lead the professional to inadequate choices of the therapeutic intervention. Thus, the study aims to analyze the prevalence of alterations in imaging studies of the shoulder complex, asymptomatic individuals and their clinical impact. For this, a search was made in the MEDLINE, Scielo and Lilacs databases.The search keyword contained a combination of the following keywords: magnetic resonance imaging, shoulder and asymptomatic individuals. Six articles were selected for analysis. It is possible to conclude that changes in imaging tests of asymptomatic individuals are frequent findings. These changes occur mainly in middle-aged individuals with no history of trauma and can be caused by degenerative changes due to age. These lesions / changes are not necessarily associated with pain or functional impairment.Imaging findings should be considered in a clinical setting and should never be used as the sole basis for operative intervention.