Magnetic resonance imaging of tendon and ligament abnormalities: Part I. Spine and upper extremities.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has proven to be an ideal technique for evaluating tendons and ligaments, which, because of their fibrous structure, have a low signal intensity on all sequences. Trauma and a wide variety of other conditions cause aberrations in the normal appearance of these structures, ranging from minor alterations in shape, size, appearance, and continuity to various changes in signal intensity within the tendon, tendon sheath, and ligament on different sequences. The purpose of this paper is to review MRI findings in patients with abnormalities of tendons and ligaments in the spine and upper extremities.