Keywords:
Anatomy, Plain radiographic studies, Education, Image verification
Authors:
M. L. D. R. B. C. Rosa; Lisboa/PT
DOI:
10.26044/essr2019/P-0091
Background
The anatomy of the hip joint is complex due to its morphology and orientation.
Determining if the hip is normal requires the recognition of the common morphology of the acetabulum and of the femoral head and neck.
Although there are many diagnostic imaging techniques for the evaluation of hip pathologies,
plain radiography is always the initial examination as many structural abnormalities that predispose to early degenerative disease can be recognized based on a single plain radiograph.
Subtle but significant radiographic findings can be challenging to the radiologist requiring a thorough and systematic approach of the radiography of the hip.
The preferable incidences to study acetabular morphology are the anteroposterior pelvic view,
which is the most performed,
and the false profile view or Lequesne view.
The latter provides visibility of the medial and anterosuperior head coverage,
important in the assessment of femoroacetabular impingement.
The optimum study of the proximal part of the femur is achieved with the frog-leg lateral and Dunn views.
The frog-leg lateral view or Lowenstein view is optimal for the evaluation of the head-neck junction,
its shape and offset in developmental dysplasia of the hip.
The Dunn view has increased sensitivity for detecting femoral head-neck asphericity allowing the evaluation of joint congruency and possible avascular necrosis.