Hip Dysplasia: Classic Changes on X-rays

By Phil Zeltzman, DVM, Dipl. ACVS

When evaluating dysplastic hip films, radiographic changes may include:

• Hip subluxation, i.e. less than 66 percent coverage of the femoral head by the acetabulum.
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• Click to Enlarge A 7-month-old male Labrador suffering from severe hip dysplasia.

  Click to Enlarge A 6-year-old female Rottweiler suffering from severe hip dysplasia.

  The margins of the acetabulum and femoral head are not parallel. They form a triangle or a wedge.
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• Increased width of the joint space.
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• Thickening of the femoral neck.
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• Flattening or deformity of the femoral head.
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• Flattening of the acetabulum.
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• Irregular acetabulum rim.
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• Osteophytes on the acetabulum, femoral head and neck.
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• Sclerosis of the subchondral bone.

A description of a normal hip would include:

• Two-thirds of the femoral head are covered by the acetabulum.
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• The margins of the acetabulum and femoral head are parallel.
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• A small, flattened area of the femoral head represents the fovea capitis, which is where the round ligament attaches. This is a normal finding.

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Hip Dysplasia: Classic Changes on X-rays

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