We test the clinical validity and financial implications of the proposed Choosing Wisely statement: “Using ultrasound as a screening test for shoulder instability is inappropriate in people under 30 years of age, unless there is clinical suspicion of a rotator cuff tear.”

A retrospective chart review from a specialist shoulder surgeon's practice over a two-year period recorded 124 patients under the age of 30 referred with shoulder instability. Of these, forty-one had already had ultrasound scans performed prior to specialist review. The scan results and patient files were reviewed to determine the reported findings on the scans and whether these findings were clinically relevant to diagnosis and decision-making. Comparison was made with subsequent MRI scan results. The data, obtained from the Accident Compensation Corporation (ACC), recorded the number of cases and costs incurred for ultrasound scans of the shoulder in patients under 30 years old over a 10-year period.

There were no cases where the ultrasound scan was considered useful in decision-making. No patient had a full thickness rotator cuff tear. Thirty-nine of the 41 patients subsequently had MRI scans. The cost to the ACC for funding ultrasound scans in patients under 30 has increased over the last decade and exceeded one million dollars in the 2020/2021 financial year. In addition, patients pay a surcharge for this test.

The proposed Choosing Wisely statement is valid. This evidence supports that ultrasound is an unnecessary investigation for patients with shoulder instability unless there is clinical suspicion of a rotator cuff tear. Ultrasound also incurs costs to the insurer (ACC) and the patient. We recommend x-rays and, if further imaging is indicated, High Tech Imaging with MRI and sometimes CT scans in these patients