Imaging and Preoperative Planning of Athletic Hip Pathology

Proper imaging is essential for treatment planning of athletic hip pathology. Plain radiographs are a valuable imaging modality, as they can provide useful information regarding patient native anatomy and hip pathoanatomy. Both acetabular- and femoral-sided pathology can be examined using a variety of radiographic views including the AP pelvis, cross table lateral, modified Dunn, and false profile views. Computed tomography can be utilized to further characterize the hip in the coronal and sagittal planes with the added information of axial imaging. This can aid in assessment of hip dysplasia and femoroacetabular impingement. Magnetic resonance imaging can be useful in evaluation soft tissue pathology of the hip, as well as in assessment of the cartilage. Ultrasound offers a noninvasive method of imaging the hip and can be useful in dynamic studies.