MR imaging measurement of the femoral antetorsional angle as a new technique: comparison with CT in children and adults.
OBJECTIVE
Our objective was to determine the accuracy, precision, and reliability of MR imaging as a technique for measurement of the femoral antetorsional angle.


METHODS
We used MR imaging to measure anteversion of the femoral neck in 44 patients: 19 children (range, 3-17 years old; mean, 11 years old) and 25 adults (range, 18-83 years old; mean, 29 years old).


RESULTS
We found a high correlation between MR imaging and CT measurements (r = 77). On CT, the mean angle for children was 34 degrees and for adults it was 22.2 degrees. On MR imaging, the mean angle for children was 23.22 degrees and for adults it was 15.71 degrees. The mean anteversion angles obtained by CT exceeded those obtained by MR imaging. Mean interobserver and intraobserver agreements were high for MR imaging (r = .97 and r = .97, respectively) and for CT (r = .99 and r = .96, respectively).


CONCLUSIONS
Compared with CT as the gold standard, MR imaging measurement of femoral anteversion allows precise anatomic measurements and produces reliable, reproducible results. MR imaging is recommended for preoperative planning in pediatric patients with femoral rotation osteotomies.
Tomczak
R J
RJ
Department of Radiology, University of Ulm, Germany.
Guenther
K P
KP
Rieber
A
A
Mergo
P
P
Ros
P R
PR
Brambs
H J
HJ
D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005272:Femur Neck / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006615:Hip / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014102:Torsion Abnormality