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

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 MR evaluation of these sections.

Delineation of the labrum from the adjacent joint capsule was possible on SPGR and T1-weighted MR arthrographic images (34 of 36 and 33 of 36 specimens, respectively), but was not consistently possible on standard SPGR and T1-weighted MR images (7 of 36 and 4 of 36 specimens, respectively). The sensitivities and specificities of the various MR sequences in evaluating labral degeneration varied from 50% to 67%, and from 25% to 94%. Increased signal at the base was common in both the normal (n = 12) and the abnormal (n = 24) labrum.

Conspicuity of the acetabular labral complex is enhanced with the intraarticular administration of contrast material. Although MR arthrography did not improve our specificity for diagnosing labral degeneration, the detection of surface abnormalities, particularly those near the base, was significantly improved.