Hip arthrography

Injecting contrast dye into the hip joint, known as arthrography, has been used for more than forty years, yet many clinicians have never accepted it as a dependable diagnostic method. Technical difficulties and problems with reading the images may explain the reluctance. The author argues that anyone performing the procedure on any joint should do it regularly, both to refine technique and to build confidence in interpretation, which depends on having a steady flow of patients.

The images can show the nature of a disorder and so shape treatment decisions, or they can serve later as material for retrospective study. In congenital hip dislocation, routine use of the technique in the past deepened understanding of obstruction inside the joint and revealed complications arising from treatment in the earliest months of life.

Grech's monograph explains the procedure in close detail, offers guidance on reading the resulting images, and includes detailed case records. It covers every hip condition for which arthrography might be indicated. Written mainly for radiologists and surgeons who intend to start using the method, it also holds much for readers already familiar with it.