SONOGRAPHICAL ANATOMY OF THE FETAL HIP-JO INT WITH EMPHASIS ON VASCULAR SUPPLY

Aim Study of the anatomy of the fetal hip joint in 115 pregnancies bet ween 13. to 40.th weeks of gestation by ultrasound. Method Sonoanatomy was studied by high resolution ultrasound (Acuson 128). For investiga tion of vascular supply of the fetal hip, colour-coded Doppler sonogra phy was performed. In-vivo studies on vascular supply were correlated with histological sections of 34 fetal hip specimens, according to the conceptional age of 13-35 weeks. Results Vascular studies of the prox imal end of the human femur showed a supply by the lateral and medial femoral circumflex arteries branched from the femoral artery or the de ep femoral artery. After 22 weeks of gestation the acetabular artery s upplied by the obturator artery was visible by means of Doppler sonogr aphy. At the end of pregnancy, large numbers of intraosseous blood ves sels are demonstrable within the femoral head and neck. Conclusion The basic arterial pattern of the hip joint is established at birth. Prox imal end of the growing femur, acetabulum, os ilium and labrum acetabu lare are clearly visible by ultrasound.