MRI of Hip Cartilage: Joint Morphology, Structure, and Composition

We performed a literature review using PubMed. Topics included quantitative MRI, imaging of the hip cartilage and labrum, femoroacetabular impingement syndrome, and osteoarthritis of the hip. WHERE ARE WE NOW?: With the use of high in-plane and through-plane resolution, reproducible assessment of hip cartilage and labrum is clinically feasible. More recent quantitative MR techniques also allow for noninvasive assessment of collagen orientation and proteoglycan content in articular cartilage, thus providing insight into early matrix degeneration. These techniques can be applied to cohorts at risk for osteoarthritis, helping to predict cartilage degeneration before symptoms progress and osteoarthritic changes are visible on radiographs. WHERE DO WE NEED TO GO?: Prospective longitudinal data registries are necessary for developing predictive models of osteoarthritis and subsequent joint failure to assess the results of surgical intervention and predict the timing of arthroplasty. HOW DO WE GET THERE?: By establishing more hip cartilage registries, a correlation can be made between subjective measures and morphologic MRI to assess the cartilage, labrum, bone, and synovial lining of the hip.