[Update on imaging in femoroacetabular impingement syndrome]

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
• Radiology and Medical Imaging

Background:

• Accurate diagnosis of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) relies on high-quality imaging.
• Conventional radiography is the initial diagnostic step, assessing acetabular configuration for dysplasia or retroversion.
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is essential pre-operatively for detecting morphology and chondrolabral damage.

Purpose of the Study:

• To outline the current imaging modalities for diagnosing femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).
• To emphasize the role of advanced imaging in surgical planning for joint-preserving hip surgery.

Main Methods:

• Conventional radiography (pelvis AP and additional views).
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), including contrast-enhanced MRI (MRA) and rotational analysis.
• Computed Tomography (CT) for high-resolution bony imaging and 3D planning.
• Emerging 4D simulations for diagnostics and therapy planning.

Main Results:

• MRI provides precise detection of morphology, chondrolabral damage, and degenerative changes.
• Rotational analysis is increasingly important, while invasive MRA use has decreased with 3T MRI.
• CT offers high-resolution bony imaging and valuable 3D planning, serving as an alternative to MRI.

Conclusions:

• A comprehensive range of imaging techniques is available for hip joint preservation surgery.
• Advances in imaging have significantly contributed to the development of differentiated surgical approaches.
• 4D simulations show promise for improving the safety and ease of diagnostics and therapy planning.