Background: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a common cause of hip pain and mobility issues, often requiring precise imaging for accurate diagnosis and treatment planning. MR arthrography with radial planes may offer superior visualization of labral and chondral injuries compared to conventional MRI, potentially improving preoperative assessment.
Objectives:This study aimed to determine the diagnostic efficacy of MR arthrography using radial planes compared to conventional MRI for preoperative assessment of labral tears and hyaline cartilage abnormalities across all FAI types, with hip arthroscopy serving as the reference standard.
Patients and Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study included 122 patients with clinically suspected FAI, presenting with hip or groin pain. Patients underwent MR arthrography with both radial and parallel planes, followed by hip arthroscopy as the reference standard. Diagnostic indices, including sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy, were calculated for detecting labral tears and hyaline cartilage abnormalities. Alpha angle and acetabular lateral edge angle were measured to classify FAI type.
Results: MR arthrography with radial planes demonstrated higher sensitivity (98.2%), specificity (100.0%), and accuracy (0.984) in detecting labral tears compared to parallel planes (sensitivity 91.1%, specificity 100.0%, accuracy 0.918). For hyaline cartilage lesions, radial planes showed sensitivity of 96.3%, specificity of 93.3%, and accuracy of 0.959, outperforming parallel planes (sensitivity 86.0%, specificity 73.3%, accuracy 0.844). Cam-type FAI was the most prevalent, found in 50 patients (41%), while pincer type was seen in 5 patients (4.1%) and mixed type in 67 patients (54.9%).
Conclusion: MR arthrography with radial planes offers superior diagnostic performance in evaluating labral and chondral injuries in FAI patients compared to parallel planes. This technique can enhance preoperative planning and management of FAI, potentially improving surgical outcomes.