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The Alpha Angle.

Seper EkhtiariOlivia FairhurstElizabeth MainwaringVikas Khanduja
Published in: The Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume (2024)
➢ The alpha angle was originally defined on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, using a plane, parallel to the axis of the femoral neck. However, much of the literature on the alpha angle has used radiographs or other imaging modalities to quantify the alpha angle.➢ The measurement of the alpha angle can be unreliable, particularly on radiographs and ultrasound.➢ If radiographs are used to measure the alpha angle, the circle of best-fit method should be used on multiple different views to capture various locations of the cam lesion, and "eyeballing" or estimating the alpha angle should be avoided.➢ The cam lesion is a dynamic and 3-dimensional (3D) problem and is unlikely to be adequately defined or captured by a single angle.➢ Modern technology, including readily available 3D imaging modalities, as well as intraoperative and dynamic imaging options, provides novel, and potentially more clinically relevant, ways to quantify the alpha angle.
Keyphrases
  • high resolution
  • magnetic resonance imaging
  • computed tomography
  • patients undergoing
  • ultrasound guided
  • diffusion weighted imaging