Introduction:

Despite the MRI findings present an adequate sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of adhesive capsulitis, there is a poor correlation between the imaging results in imaging centers and the diagnosis of a shoulder surgeon and the surgical findings.

Objective:

To evaluate the correlation of the diagnosis of adhesive capsulitis by MRI between imaging centers and the shoulder and elbow surgery service, with subsequent surgical verification.

Material and methods:

Retrospective, observational and comparative study in 41 patients with adhesive capsulitis diagnosis, the concordance among the MRI reports of different radiology cabinets and the Joint reconstruction clinic was calculated, in 10 cases the diagnosis was corroborated by surgery. The κ index was determinated between both interpretations and the surgical findings.

Results:

The concordance among the reports analyzed by the shoulder surgeon of the Joint reconstruction clinic and the cabinets was low, with a κ index of 0.12, in all the surgical cases the presence of adhesive capsulitis was proved with a κ index of 0.10 with respect to the cabinets reports.

Conclusion:

The imaging findings described in the literature are reliable for the diagnosis of adhesive capsulitis. The low concordance with the imaging cabinets leads us to think that it is an underdiagnosed entity.