STANDARDIZATION OF THE TECHNIQUE FOR MEASURING INFRASPINATUS MUSCLE VOLUME IN MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING OF PATIENTS WITH ROTATOR CUFF INJURY

• Grant number: 25/00939-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: May 01, 2025
• End date: April 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Guilherme Grisi Mouraria
• Grantee: Marcella Mingante
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Rotator cuff injuries are among the most prevalent conditions observed in orthopedics. Injuries to the infraspinatus muscle, specifically, often occur in association with supraspinatus injuries. In cases of rotator cuff tendon tears, it is common to observe progression to muscular fatty degeneration, which indicates a worse prognosis. Higher degrees of fatty infiltration are associated with increased re-tear rates and poorer functional outcomes following surgical treatment, and the severity of liposubstitution is determined using the Goutallier classification. Currently, the assessment of lesion severity according to this scale relies on the professional's visual analysis of imaging exams, which makes the classification less precise and susceptible to bias and errors. Therefore, the aim of this research project is to standardize and establish the best method (considering orientation and angulation) for classifying infraspinatus muscle injuries by importing magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans into the SliceOmatic® software (TomoVision; Magie Virtuelle Inc), in order to implement the use of this program at HC-Unicamp. **Materials and Methods:** A retrospective analysis of 1.5 Tesla MRI images in T1- and T2-weighted sequences will be performed, using coronal, oblique sagittal, and axial slices. Each exam will be imported into the SliceOmatic® software, which enables tissue segmentation and measurement of muscle volume in cubic centimeters. Infraspinatus tendon injury will be assessed in axial T2 slices, for the purpose of analyzing the degree of retraction.