Thickness of the Coracohumeral Ligament in Cases of Recurrent Shoulder Dislocation

Enhancement of the joint capsule, fibrovascular tissue, and synovial membrane in the rotator cuff interval using MRI can aid the identification of adhesive capsulitis following intravenous gadolinium injection. This study assesses the thickness of the coracohumeral ligament (CHL) in the cases of recurrent shoulder dislocation and identifies the status of the CHL in these cases. A 3T MRI machine was used to perform the imaging. Patients were included with a history of at least two episodes of shoulder dislocation at the radiology department of King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH), Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from January 2017 to May 2020. A total of 177 patients were diagnosed with recurrent shoulder dislocation through its associated symptoms, out of which 107 had a history of shoulder dislocation. A mean CHL thickness was reported in the control group as 1.6 (± 0.49) mm, while in patients with shoulder dislocation it was reported as 2.84 (± 0.91) mm. A statistically significant relationship was observed between CHL thickness and the presence of Hill-Sachs and Bankart lesions. The study concluded that increased CHL thickness is strongly correlated with shoulder dislocation: there is a good predictability of shoulder dislocation based on the presence of thickened CHL.