Radiographic analysis of subclinical appearances of the hip joint among patients with labral tears

Objective Labral tears can be complicated by hip diseases, including osteoarthritis or femoral acetabular impingement. To accurately plan hip arthroscopy or subsequent conversion to total hip arthroplasty, the presence of bony abnormalities in the hip joint must be evaluated. This study aimed to elucidate the utility of multiplanar reconstruction computed tomography (mCT) for the detection of subclinical coincidence of osteoarthritis or femoral acetabular impingement with a labrum tear. Materials and methods We retrospectively analysed 34 patients (36 hips) with labrum tears without apparent osteoarthritis or hip dysplasia from 2012 to 2015. The joint spaces were calculated using radiographs or mCT, and the detection rates of degenerative cyst and herniation pit were compared. Results Narrow joint spaces (< 2 mm) were more clearly detected in mCT (p < 0.05, chi-square analysis) than in radiographs. The detection rate of cysts in the acetabulum was 8.3% using radiographs and 36.1% using mCT (p < 0.001, chi-square analysis). Additionally, the detection of herniation pit was 8.3% and 25.0% using radiographs and mCT, respectively (p = 0.053, chi-square analysis). Conclusion We performed the radiographic analysis of patients with labral tears using radiographs and mCT. The mCT allowed for fine detection of narrow joint spaces and subtle subclinical appearances. The results of this study may provide surgeons with more appropriate strategies for the treatment of labral tears.