Prevalence of the Acetabular Sublabral Sulcus at MR Arthrography in Patients Under 17 Years of Age: Does It Exist?

Purpose: To retrospectively determine characteristics of contrast-filled acetabular labral clefts in patients under the age of 17 years at MR arthrography (Mra) correlated with arthroscopy, which may impact the thinking regarding the existence of a sublabral sulcus.

Materials And Methods: After IRB approval, 41 patients under the age of 17 who had MRa were identified. The following observations of contrast-filled clefts were assessed: (1) presence/absence, (2) location, (3) depth, (4) abnormal signal within the labrum and (5) shape (linear, gaping, complex). Fisher's exact and the Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-rank test were performed. Interreader agreement was calculated with Cohen's k.

Results: Reader 1 found clefts in 41 %. Depth was less than half in 6%, more than half in 65% and full thickness in 29%. Shape was linear in 53%, gaping in 18% and complex in 29%. Signal changes occurred in 88%. Reader 2 found clefts in 29%. Depth was less than half in 17%, more than half in 58% and full thickness in 25%. Shape was linear in 50%, gaping in 42% and complex in 17%. Signal changes occurred in 50%. None of the clefts fulfilled the criteria for a sublabral sulcus at MRa and arthroscopy.

Conclusion: None of the clefts found in our subjects under the age of 17 years met the MRa and arthroscopy criteria for a sublabral sulcus, which supports the theory that such clefts represent labral tears.