MR Arthrography versus conventional MRI in evaluation of labral and chondral lesions in different types of femoroacetabular impingement

Objective

To detect the value of MR Arthrography over MRI in evaluation of labral and chondral lesions in all types of FAI, and to correlate the findings with arthroscopy as a gold standard.

Patients and methods

50 patients including 33 males and 17 females, age ranges from 19 to 54 years old (mean age 39 ± 5.5), underwent MRI and MR Arthrography of the hip joint followed by arthroscopy correlation. Images were evaluated for labral abnormalities, cartilage and osseous abnormalities associated in FAI. α angle. Acetabular lateral edge angle and degree of focal retroversion were measured.

Results

Cam type detected in 20, Mixed type in 28, pincer type in 2, MRI detected 28 labral injury, 51 cartilage affection in 33 cases, MR Arthrography detected 38 labral injury, fraying of the L/C zone in 23 cases, 53 cartilage affection in 33 cases, cam type ch.ch by large α angle, anterosuperior femoral cartilage lesion and osseous bump formation; mixed type include the previous cam findings with a deep acetabulum and posteroinferior cartilage lesions. Anterosuperior labral (AS) tears are more common than postersuperior (PS).

Conclusion

Hip MR Arthrography is a faithful evaluation modality for diagnosing the acetabular labral tears, and cartilage abnormalities associated with different types of FAI.