Imaging of the symptomatic paediatric hip

Hip pain is a common complaint in both children and adolescents. The diagnostic challenge lies not only in the difficulties of history and examination in the paediatric population, and that hip pathology can be referred from other sites, but also that the differentials are broad. Although an accurate history and clinical evaluation are vital in narrowing this wide differential, imaging plays a key role in establishing an accurate diagnosis. The various imaging modalities available, together with the common causes of non-traumatic hip pain within the paediatric population, are reviewed in this article.