Hip Arthrography
Chapter 101 describes the indications, technique, and imaging findings of hip arthrography. Hip arthrography is selectively performed in routine clinical practice for MRA, typically in younger patients. Indications include hip pain thought to be caused by acetabular labral injury, femoroacetabular impingement syndromes, as well as therapeutic steroid injections. Contrast should easily inject and disperse throughout the joint away from the needle, opacifying the femoral head and neck recesses and outlining the zona orbicularis. The technique can also be used for arthrocentesis with suspected infection, but contrast should not be injected. Contrast extension into the acetabular labral substance may be occasionally depicted on the standard arthrography images. However, it is nowadays evaluated by MRA or sometimes CTA. Complications include infection, bleeding (especially if arterial puncture), and femoral nerve injury.