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In the age of cost containment and urgent reductions in health care expenditures, new options have to be explored to satisfy both diagnostic requirements and economic limitations. The introduction of low-field MR systems for assessment of joint disorders seemed to be an option for lower costs. The purpose of this article is to summarize available experiences with low-field MR arthrography of the glenohumeral joint with respect to image quality and diagnostic accuracy in detecting labral and rotator cuff lesions. Up to now, there has been only a limited number of studies available dealing with low-field MR arthrography of the glenohumeral joint. They reveal that, despite a minor image quality in comparison with high-field imaging, low-field MR arthrography of the shoulder allows for sufficient evaluation of intra- and extra-articular structures in the detection of major abnormalities such as glenohumeral instability or rotator cuff disease. Furthermore, open-configured MR scanners enable kinematic studies: Besides the analysis of normal motion, pathological findings in patients with instabilities and impingement syndrome can be delineated. They further offer the possibility for performing MR imaging-guided arthrography of the shoulder. This was first described using an open C-arm scanner with a vertically oriented magnetic field so that MR arthrography may be performed in one setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]