RESUMEN
The possibilities of MRI and radiography with mammogram to diagnose mechanical tendinitis have been prospectively evaluated in thirty sportsmen. Sixteen had Achilles tendon lesion, fourteen had patellar ligament lesion. Each patient included in the study was programmed for radiography with mammogram and MRI of the pathologic tendon and the controlateral tendon. These examinations were separately interpreted by two reviewers who had no knowledge of pain location. The number of tendinitis diagnosis based on X-ray and MRI was approximatively the same. But the microtearings were more often diagnosed on MRI data than on X-ray data (10/1). Eight patients underwent an operation. The surgery findings always confirmed the MRI diagnoses. MRI seems to be the examination of choice to evaluate the tendon injuries and particularly microtearings before surgery.