Purpose: The confirmation of clinical findings as well as the accurate preoperative evaluation of patients with shoulder instability and rupture of the glenoid labrum. Material-Method: 180 patients with shoulder instability or suspected labral lesions were examined with MR arthrography.

Results: The MR arthrography findings were the following: lesions of the labrum, SLAP lesions, redundant articular capsule, lesions of the capsule, lesions of the glenohumeral ligaments. In particular, we present: a) The spectrum of labral ruptures: Bankart lesions, SLAP, HAGL, ALPSA, GLAD lesions), b) various lesions of the labrum: degenerative changes, discoid labrum. In a few cases with MDI the MR arthrography was negative. Fifty (50) patients of these were operated upon. We report the results and compare the MR arthrography findings with those of the operation. SLAP type II lesions are difficult to be distinguished from normal conditions.

Conclusions: MR arthrography is a reliable method in the study of shoulder instability and offers significantly in the treatment of this group of patients.