[Doppler ultrasonography in the study of the vascularization of the femur head in newborn infants].
OBJECTIVE
To establish the effectiveness of color Doppler and power Doppler ultrasound (US) in identifying the arterial supply of the femoral head in newborn.


METHODS
Sixty normal hips in 30 newborns (mean age: 22 days) were imaged with a 7 MHz transducer. The presence and Doppler characteristics of flow in the branches of the inferior and superior arterial groups were documented according to the anatomic description of Lagrange and Dunoyer.


RESULTS
The arterial flow within the chondroepiphysis from the inferior and superior branches was visualized in 100% and 91% cases, respectively. The transversal trochanter major incidence was the most adequate. Abduction without stress did not induce modification of the arterial supply.


CONCLUSIONS
Visualization of femoral head vascularity with Power Doppler and color Doppler US is feasible and consistent in the majority of healthy neonates.
Sebag
G
G
Département d'imagerie pédiatrique, Hôpital Robert-Debré, Paris.
Pinzuti
V
V
Argyropoulou
M
M
Elmaleh
A
A
D001158:Arteries; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005270:Femur Head / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
Etude en échographie Doppler de la vascularisation de la tête fémorale du nouveau-né.