Abstract

Patients commonly present with generalized hip pain in the presence of normal radiographs, posing a diagnostic dilemma for physicians. The hip is the essential and central component of movement between the torso and lower extremities and is integral to proper performance in almost all sports. Instability occurs with defined acute events as an episode of dislocation or subluxation. Atraumatic instability may be difficult to diagnose because of the absence of an acute onset and the broad differential diagnosis of hip pain. MRI coronal images provide iliofemoral ligament evaluation. MRI speci?cally of cam-type impingement shows insuf?cient head-neck offset and rapid cartilage loss over the anterosuperior margin of the dome. Evaluation of the femoral head will demonstrate an osseous deformity at the anterolateral aspect of the femoral head-neck junction, often with intraosseous ganglion cysts adjacent to the anterior capsule and thickening of the iliofemoral ligament. We report a case of iliofemoral ligament injury, an entity often unsuspected in the initial clinical evaluation and diagnosis. Although uncommon, it should be investigated in imaging tests, because when present, we can justify a patient's symptomatology, as documented in the present case.

Keywords

Ligaments, articular, hip joint, magnetic resonance imaging, hip injuries, iliofemoral ligament, atraumatic injuries, intra-osseous ganglion, labral injury, intra-articular, sports, pain, acetabular, femoral head and neck edema, mobility, stability