Concentric reduction of the dislocated hip. Computed-tomographic evaluation

Concentric reduction of a dislocated hip can be evaluated by anteroposterior views or linear tomography. Anterior relationships, however, may be difficult to evaluate from a frontal radiograph despite good visibility. Computed tomography (CT), because of its cross-sectional imaging capabilities, is superior in demonstrating these relationships. The CT appearance of two types of dislocations (posterior and lateral) is described. A posterior dislocation should be suspected if the femoral metaphysis approximates the acetabulum, a mass projects behind the ischium, or the fat plane anterior to the gluteus maximus is deformed or displaced posteriorly.