The purpose of this study was to analyse the factors having an influence on the arthrographic imaging of the biceps tendon. The study comprised 174 patients suffering from chronic shoulder pain. They underwent conventional shoulder arthrography with sodium meglumine metrizoate or metrizamide as a contrast medium. In the patients with a full-thickness tear of the rotator cuff, the biceps tendon sheath failed to fill with contrast medium more often than in those with an intact tendinous cuff. Metrizamide filled the biceps tendon sheath more readily than sodium meglumine metrizoate in patients with a full-thickness tear of the rotator cuff. The volume of the contrast medium injected had no influence on the imaging of the biceps tendon.