The primary imaging study for suspected SCFE assesses which joint?

The primary imaging study for suspected SCFE assesses which joint?

• A. Knee
• B. Ankle
• C. Lumbar spine
• D. The hip.

Answer: (D)

SCFE is a disorder of the proximal femoral growth plate in adolescents, where the femoral head slips relative to the neck. The key idea is that the problem lies in the hip joint, so imaging to diagnose SCFE focuses on the hip. An X-ray of the pelvis with both the AP view and a frog-leg lateral view is used because it best shows the slip of the femoral head relative to the neck and any disruption in the normal hip alignment. While pain can be referred to the knee or back, those areas aren’t the primary sites of pathology for SCFE, so imaging the hip is the essential step.

SCFE is a disorder of the proximal femoral growth plate in adolescents, where the femoral head slips relative to the neck. The key idea is that the problem lies in the hip joint, so imaging to diagnose SCFE focuses on the hip. An X-ray of the pelvis with both the AP view and a frog-leg lateral view is used because it best shows the slip of the femoral head relative to the neck and any disruption in the normal hip alignment. While pain can be referred to the knee or back, those areas aren’t the primary sites of pathology for SCFE, so imaging the hip is the essential step.