Reporting rotator cuff tears on magnetic resonance arthrography using the Snyder’s arthroscopic classification

Table 1 Snyder’s classification of rotator cuff tears

Location
A	Articular side
B	Bursal side
C	Full-thickness tears, connecting A and B sides
Severity of partial tears (A and B side)
0	Normal cuff, with smooth coverings of synovium and bursa
1	Minimal, superficial bursal or synovial irritation or slight capsular fraying in a small, localized area; usually < 1 cm
2	Actually fraying and failure of some rotator cuff fibres in addition to synovial, bursal, or capsular injury; usually < 2 cm
3	More severe rotator cuff injury, including fraying and fragmentation of tendons fibers, often involving the whole surface of a cuff tendon; usually < 3 cm
4	Very severe partial rotator cuff tear that usually contains, in addition to fraying and fragmentation of tendon tissue, a sizable flap tear and often encompasses more than a single tendon
Severity of complete tears (C)
1	Small, complete tear, such as a puncture wound
2	Moderate tear, (usually < 2 cm) that still encompasses only one of the rotator cuff tendons with no retraction of the torn ends
3	Large, complete tear involving an entire tendon with minimal retraction of the torn edge; usually 3 to 4 cm
4	Massive rotator cuff tear involving two or more rotator cuff tendons, frequently with associated retraction and scarring of the remaining tendon

Modified from Millstein and Snyder[16].