title: Magnetic resonance imaging of the femoral head of normal dogs and dogs with avascular necrosis.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to describe the appearance of the femoral head of normal, young, small breed dogs, and dogs with avascular necrosis using low-field (0.3 T) magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Images of the femoral heads were obtained in the dorsal plane, and included T1-weighted spin-echo, T2-weighted fast spin-echo, fast spin echo-inversion recovery, and fluid attenuated inversion recovery pulse sequences. MR imaging features of the asymptomatic femoral heads and necks included uniform high signal intensity compared with muscle on T1- and T2-weighted images. There was either uniform enhancement or no enhancement on postcontrast T1-weighted images. The MR imaging findings of dogs affected with avascular necrosis differed from those of asymptomatic dogs. Typically, the affected dogs had inhomogeneous intermediate to low-signal intensity within the femoral head and neck compared with muscle on T1-weighted images, inhomogeneous enhancement of the femoral head and/or neck on postcontrast T1-weighted images, and inhomogeneous low- to high- signal intensity within the femoral head and neck on T2-weighted images.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, Mosier Hall, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. rabowlus@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Rachel A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Bowlus
authors.forename: Laura J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Armbrust
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Biller
authors.forename: James J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Hoskinson
authors.forename: Keiichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuroki
authors.forename: Derek A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Mosier
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004283:Dog Diseases / Q000473:pathology*; D004285:Dogs; D005270:Femur Head / Q000033:anatomy & histology*; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000662:veterinary*; D010375:Pedigree; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values