Magnetic resonance tomography pattern of a normal hip joint in a child and the respective pattern following trophic disturbances which resulted from treatment of developmental dislocation.

: MRI gives unique opportunities to visualize all structures of pediatric hip both in normal and pathologic conditions. As such it is a valuable supplement to other methods used so far in hip imaging, e.g., conventional radiography and ultrasonography. The aim of this study was to show MR pictures of normal pediatric hip and following avascular necrosis in developmental hip dislocation. The value of MRI and these conventional radiography were also compared. Magnetic resonance imaging appeared to be superior to radiography in assessment of subcapital growth plate and its damage in most of the hips. The most common presentation of the area of subcapital growth plate of the proximal femur on MR images was that of hypointense band on T1-weighted images and hyperintense band on sequences using fat saturation. T1-weighted images were best for visualization of bony bridges containing yellow marrow crossing the growth plate. The sequences using fat saturation were good for visualization af any damage to the growth plate without possibility to distinguish fibrous or osseous changes. T1-weighted images together with FLASH 3D FAT SAT seem to be sufficient for the analysis of the growth plate and its damage.