PELVIS

Below is a T1 weighted coronal MRI image of the hips. The yellow arrow is pointing to the pathology in the left femoral head/hip joint known as avascular necrosis(AVN). Avascular necrosis is a disease where the blood supply to the bone is disrupted causing loss of bone integrity and eventual collapse of the bone. The cause is often never identified, but factors that have been found to lead to avascular necrosis are trauma, use of steroids, alcohol abuse, damage from radiation, high blood pressure, and sickle cell anemia. Diagnoses are usually made with MRI imaging. AVN in the hip such as in this picture could be treated by the patient having a total hip replacement.