The iliofemoral ligament is the strongest component of the hip joint capsule and ensures the stability of the joint. Management of the capsule is a major issue during hip arthroscopy, and the prevailing trend is now to avoid dividing it, or to repair it, or, if it has been divided, to repair it. A new study set out to describe the thickness of the hip joint capsule on MRI in patients with dysplasia and to assess the differences in its thickness between patients with true and with borderline dysplasia.
The patients were assessed by an experienced surgeon between June 2020 and June 2021, and MRI images were studied in patients with dysplasia established by the lateral centre-edge angle of the acetabulum (LCEA ANGLE) when this was less than 25 degrees. This group was compared with a group of patients without dysplasia. The thickness of the joint capsule was quantified using MRI and a subanalysis was carried out to compare patients with true dysplasia (centre-edge angle less than 20 degrees) and patients with borderline dysplasia (centre-edge angle 20-25 degrees). The results were analysed statistically.
The authors concluded that patients with hip dysplasia showed a thinner iliofemoral ligament on the coronal plane of the MRI. Further study is nevertheless needed to analyse these findings, which may be associated with instability of the hip.
Source: "Arthroscopy", April 2025