Magnetic resonance arthrography of the shoulder: a painful procedure?

Abstract Objective: To compare the pain expected to that effectively caused by magnetic resonance arthrography of the shoulder and, secondarily, to describe a simplified approach to the technique for articular access. Materials and Methods: We prospectively evaluated 40 participants who used a visual analog scale and a simplified categorical scale to indicate the level of pain expected and that experienced after the procedure, comparing the two with the Wilcoxon matched-pairs test. We also determined gender-related differences in pain conditions using the Mann-Whitney U test. In addition, we described a modified technique involving radiographic localization and the use of standard puncture needles for articular access. Results: Analysis of the visual analog scales showed that the pain experienced was less than had been expected, with median scores of 1.75 and 3.75, respectively (p