Extract
While magnetic resonance imaging remains a standard tool in the radiologic diagnosis of disorders about the hip joint, challenges remain with regard to assessment of cartilage damage secondary to the spherical contour of the joint and relative thinness of the articular cartilage. Despite these difficulties, magnetic resonance arthrography is the recommended study for the assessment of chondral and labral pathology of the hip. Magnetic resonance imaging technology will benefit from increased field strength, improved coils, and the development of fast isotropic high-resolution sequences. These improvements will allow detection of subtle cartilage abnormalities. Additionally, continued technical improvements should allow practical application of both noncontrast and contrast-enhanced biochemical imaging techniques.