Evaluation of Ultrasound for Detecting Hip Impingement

Diagnosing Deformities of the Hip Associated With Arthritis: MRI vs Ultrasound

Patients are being asked to participate in this study because a previous research MRI of their hips showed that the shape of the head of their thigh bone may indicate FAI of the hip. We have already collected cartilage imaging data and data on how the hip joint moves on people with painful/symptomatic FAI and people with normal hip function. We would now like to compare the motion of the hip joint to those with painful FAI using ultrasound.

Hip impingement is thought to be a leading cause of hip osteoarthritis, and occurs due to deformities in the hip joint. However some individuals have these deformities but do not exhibit symptoms. Using the standard magnetic resonance imaging and clinical tests it is not clear which deformities will cause degeneration, requiring surgical intervention. We propose to evaluate the deformity and impingement between the femur and acetabulum using dynamic ultrasound imaging. Ultrasound does not involve radiation and can acquire video of the hip joint and is thus suitable for such diagnostic purposes. In this pilot study we will evaluate the feasibility of ultrasound in diagnosing hip impingement.

Inclusion Criteria:

Surgical group:

• Hip pain longer than 6 months referred to the groin/lateral aspect of the hip
• Positive Impingement Sign

Plain radiographs:

• Absence of arthritis (Tonnis Grade 0 or 1)
• Absence of dysplasia (center edge >25 degrees) on anterior-posterior radiograph
• α-angle greater than 60 degrees on MRI.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Patients who don't meet inclusion criteria
• Control group: subjects with hip pain or with alpha angle > 50 degrees on MRI