A Study of CT Versus MR Arthrography in Detection of Acetabular Cartilage Defects and Labral Tears

Abstract

Background: the most important role of imaging in the preoperative period is to reveal labro-cartilaginous lesions in patients with chronic hip pain and suggested FAI. MRI particularly 3T MRI has a good ability to detect labral and chondral pathologies in FAI. Objective: to evaluate CT hip arthrography in the detection of acetabularlabral lesions and articular cartilage defects in comparison with MR arthrography in patients with chronic intractable hip pain. Patients and Methods: this is a cross sectional study in Cairo Scan Radiology center and Al-Azhar University hospital over 5 years period. The study included 61 patients who were referred for identification of source of chronic hip pain or assessing previous hip arthroscopic intervention. All cases were subjected to evaluation by both MDCT and MR arthrography. Confirmation of diagnosis was primarily based upon MR arthrography findings. Result: sixty-one patients were included in this study. Of them, 51 patients have been proved to have intra articular pathology; 31 males (61%) and 20 females (39%). Femoro-acetabular deformities were readily detectable via CT arthrography. Compared to MRA, CT arthrography had a sensitivity and specificity of 90.7% and 100% in detection of acetbularlabral lesions, 95% and 100% specificity in detection of femoral and acetabularchondral lesions, and 86% and 100% specificity in the detection of other intra articular pathologies, respectively. Conclusion: multidetector CT arthrography is an efficient alternative to MR arthrography in the evaluation of internal derangements of the hip.