title: The diagnostic performance of non-contrast 3-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (3-T MRI) versus 1.5-Tesla magnetic resonance arthrography (1.5-T MRA) in femoro-acetabular impingement.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 3-T non-contrast MRI versus 1.5-T MRA for assessing labrum and articular cartilage lesions in patients with clinical suspicion of femoro-acetabular impingement (FAI).
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients (thirty men and twenty women, mean age 42.5 years) underwent 1.5-T MRA, 3-T MRI and arthroscopy on the same hip. An optimized high-resolution proton density spin echo pulse sequence was included in the 3-T non-contrast MRI protocol.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 3-T non-contrast MRI identified forty-two of the forty-three arthroscopically proven tears at the labral-chondral transitional zone (sensitivity, 97.7%; specificity, 100%; positive predictive value (PPV), 100%; negative predictive value (NPV), 87.5%; accuracy 98%). With 1.5-T MRA, forty-four tears were diagnosed. However, there was one false positive (sensitivity, 100%; specificity, 85.7%; PPV, 97.7%; NPV, 100%; accuracy 98%). Agreement between arthroscopy and MRI, whether 3-T non-contrast MRI or 1.5-T MRA, as to the degree of chondral lesion in the acetabulum was reached in half of the patients and in the femur in 76% of patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Non-invasive assessment of the hip is possible with 3-T MR magnet. 3-T non-contrast MRI could replace MRA as the workhorse technique for assessing hip internal damage. MRA would then be reserved for young adults with a strong clinical suspicion of FAI but normal findings on 3-T non-contrast MRI. When compared with 1.5-T MRA, optimized sequences with 3-T non-contrast MRI help in detecting normal variants and in diagnosing articular cartilage lesions.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, c/ Joaquín Rodrigo 2, Majadahonda 28222, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: anacresporodriguez@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Ana M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Crespo-Rodríguez
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology at the Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, c/ Joaquín Rodrigo 2, Majadahonda 28222, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: jclucasv@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Jose C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: De Lucas-Villarrubia
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, c/ Joaquín Rodrigo 2, Majadahonda 28222, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: m.pastrana@telefonica.net.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pastrana-Ledesma
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, c/ Joaquín Rodrigo 2, Majadahonda 28222, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: ana.hualdej@salud.madrid.org.
authors.forename: Ana
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hualde-Juvera
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro Majadahonda, c/ Joaquín Rodrigo 2, Majadahonda 28222, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: smendez.sma@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Santiago
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Méndez-Alonso
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Clínica Cemtro, Avda Ventisquero de la Condesa 42 Madrid 28035, Madrid, Spain. Electronic address: mario.padron@clinicacemtro.com.
authors.forename: Mario
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Padron
mesh_terms: D000077:Acetabulum / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001175:Arthrography / Q000379:methods*; D001182:Arthroscopy; D005260:Female; D057925:Femoracetabular Impingement / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005269:Femur / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Arthrography; Femoro-acetabular impingement; Hip; Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); Sensitivitity; Specificity