MR arthrography of the hip: improved imaging of the acetabular labrum with histologic correlation in cadavers.

Abstract

The objective of this study was to correlate findings on conventional MR imaging and MR arthrography of the hip with pathologic findings in cadavers with abnormal labra to determine (1) the efficacy of MR imaging in assessing labral degeneration, (2) whether delineation of the labrum from the joint capsule is possible, and (3) if the conspicuity of surface abnormalities of the labrum is improved by administering intraarticular contrast material.Twelve cadaveric hip joints were obtained from elderly cadavers. Each hip was examined using fat-suppressed three-dimensional spoiled GRASS (gradient-recalled acquisition in the steady state) (SPGR) imaging and T1-weighted spin-echo imaging before and after intraarticular injection of contrast material. Thirty-six labral sections (three from each hip joint) were evaluated histologically to determine the labral-capsular relationship, the presence of degeneration, and the configuration of the labral base. These findings were correlated with the results of a blinded M...