Magnetic resonance imaging patterns of shoulder injuries in strength trainers

Weightlifting, a recent addition to strength training regimes of elite athletes, offers various benefits such as increased muscle/tendon/bone strength, bone density, metabolism, and cardiac function. Although beneficial, weightlifting can contribute to various shoulder pathologies that include rotator cuff impingement and injuries to tendons/muscles/bones of the shoulder and shoulder girdle, with specific patterns of injury identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Our pictorial essay, therefore, aims to familiarize radiologists and sports medicine physicians with the mechanisms, various types, and MRI patterns of shoulder/shoulder-girdle injuries, thereby enabling appropriate alterations to training regimens to prevent further injury.