Skip to content
DraconiticResearch
Search Sources API
197,768 studies31 sourcesUpdated 24 min ago
Peer-reviewedCC BYEuropean Radiology Experimental

MRI-based virtual radiographs of the pelvis for assessment of acetabular morphology

  • Jose Andres Roshardt1
  • Julien Hirt2
  • Malin Kristin Meier3
  • Till Dominic Lerch3
  • Alexander Frank Heimann2
  • Moritz Tannast1
  • Armando Hoch4
  • Stefan Sommer5
  • Reto Sutter6
  • Simon Damian Steppacher1
  • Florian Schmaranzer3
6 affiliations
  1. 1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University of Bern
  2. 2Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, HFR Cantonal Hospital, University of Fribourg
  3. 3Department of Diagnostic, Interventional and Paediatric Radiology, Inselspital, University of Bern
  4. 4Department of Orthopaedics, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich
  5. 5Swiss Center for Musculoskeletal Imaging (SCMI), Balgrist Campus
  6. 6Department of Radiology, Balgrist University Hospital, University of Zurich
Read full textPDFDOICite

Abstract

Objectives We generated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based virtual radiographs (VRs) from hips with/without intra-articular contrast and compared them with conventional anteroposterior pelvic radiographs (CR) regarding measurement bias, interobserver and intraobserver agreement, and diagnosis of acetabular deformities; we also assessed hip deformity prevalence on VR in asymptomatic participants. Materials and methods Retrospective study of 50 patients (100 hips; mean age 34 years) with femoroacetabular impingement or hip dysplasia undergoing CR and unilateral magnetic resonance arthrography. Additionally, 53 asymptomatic participants underwent noncontrast MRI. Segmentation of the osseous pelvis was performed on T1-weighted volume interpolated breathhold examination (VIBE) Dixon MRI using 3D nnU-Net, pseudo-computed tomography generation, and cone-beam projection to generate VR. Acetabular coverage (lateral center edge angle (LCE), acetabular index (AI), anterior/posterior coverage, extrusion index (EI)), and acetabular version were compared between CR and VR. Interobserver agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and κ statistics; bias with Bland–Altman analysis. Results Interobserver agreement for VR ranged from moderate to almost perfect (ICC/κ 0.60–0.94), except for the AI. LCE showed no significant bias with ( − 0.2° ± 2.5, p = 0.663) or without contrast ( − 0.2° ± 2.2, p = 0.530). Systematic differences occurred for AI, EI, anterior/posterior coverage, and ischial spine sign; 57–75% of discrepancies were within CR interobserver variation. Diagnostic classification showed substantial agreement between CR and VR (κ = 0.62), comparable to CR interobserver agreement (κ = 0.70). In asymptomatic participants, 13% had acetabular dysplasia, 68% normal coverage, and 19% overcoverage. Conclusion MRI-based VR provides acetabular morphology assessment comparable to CR and enables radiation-free evaluation in symptomatic patients and asymptomatic populations. Key Points Question Can MRI-based virtual radiographs reproduce conventional radiographic measurements of acetabular morphology, enabling radiation-free two-dimensional assessment in symptomatic patients and asymptomatic populations? Findings The lateral center-edge angle showed no significant bias between virtual and conventional radiographs; diagnostic classification of acetabular deformities agreed substantially (κ = 0.62), comparable to conventional radiograph interobserver agreement. Relevance Statement MRI-derived virtual radiographs can provide acetabular measurements comparable to conventional radiographs without ionizing radiation, supporting integration into three-dimensional surgical planning and enabling assessment in young patients and population-based cohorts where repeated radiographs are undesirable. Graphical Abstract

Related

  1. Acetabular osteophyte-like ossification in DDH: association with labral morphology and age.
    Wei Yu, Xiang Cheng, Huimin Chen +4
    Annals of medicinePeer-reviewedCC BY-NCFull textObstetrics, gynaecology & paediatricsEurope PMCPMC
  2. Development of a Pelvic Finite Element Model for Future Assessment of Fixation Strategies in Both-Column Acetabular Fractures
    Marine Ganachon, Zapata Alves, Rodolfo José +2
    Multidisciplinary Biomechanics JournalPeer-reviewedCC BY 4.0Full textSurgery & anaesthesiaHAL
  3. Open‐Source and Commercial 3‐Dimensional Computed Tomography Methods Show Limited Agreement for Classifying Acetabular Morphology in Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy
    Ashley A. Ellingwood, Rajvarun S. Grewal, Henry M. Gass +7
    Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitationPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textSurgery & anaesthesiaEurope PMCPMC
  4. Evaluation of mandibular condyle morphology in northeastern Anatolian children and adolescents aged 6-14 years using digital panoramic radiographs.
    Hatice Zehra Bodur Güney, Tayfun Aygün, Arif Keskin +2
    BMC oral healthPeer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDFull textGeneral medicineEurope PMCDOAJ
  5. Single-leg versus double-leg weight-bearing radiographs for coronal alignment assessment in patients with lower extremity trauma
    Naya Pabla, Kairo Noronha, Sathyagopal Siddapureddy +6
    SICOT-JPeer-reviewedCC BYFull textSurgery & anaesthesiaEurope PMC

Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{roshardt2026mribased,
  title = {{MRI-based virtual radiographs of the pelvis for assessment of acetabular morphology}},
  author = {Jose Andres Roshardt and Julien Hirt and Malin Kristin Meier and Till Dominic Lerch and Alexander Frank Heimann and Moritz Tannast and Armando Hoch and Stefan Sommer and Reto Sutter and Simon Damian Steppacher and Florian Schmaranzer},
  journal = {European Radiology Experimental},
  year = {2026},
  month = nov,
  doi = {10.1186/s41747-026-00835-7},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1186/s41747-026-00835-7},
  note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - MRI-based virtual radiographs of the pelvis for assessment of acetabular morphology
AU  - Jose Andres Roshardt
AU  - Julien Hirt
AU  - Malin Kristin Meier
AU  - Till Dominic Lerch
AU  - Alexander Frank Heimann
AU  - Moritz Tannast
AU  - Armando Hoch
AU  - Stefan Sommer
AU  - Reto Sutter
AU  - Simon Damian Steppacher
AU  - Florian Schmaranzer
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/11/08
JO  - European Radiology Experimental
DO  - 10.1186/s41747-026-00835-7
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1186/s41747-026-00835-7
AB  - Objectives We generated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based virtual radiographs (VRs) from hips with/without intra-articular contrast and compared them with conventional anteroposterior pelvic radiographs (CR) regarding measurement bias, interobserver and intraobserver agreement, and diagnosis of acetabular deformities; we also assessed hip deformity prevalence on VR in asymptomatic participants. Materials and methods Retrospective study of 50 patients (100 hips; mean age 34 years) with femoroacetabular impingement or hip dysplasia undergoing CR and unilateral magnetic resonance arthrography. Additionally, 53 asymptomatic participants underwent noncontrast MRI. Segmentation of the osseous pelvis was performed on T1-weighted volume interpolated breathhold examination (VIBE) Dixon MRI using 3D nnU-Net, pseudo-computed tomography generation, and cone-beam projection to generate VR. Acetabular coverage (lateral center edge angle (LCE), acetabular index (AI), anterior/posterior coverage, extrusion index (EI)), and acetabular version were compared between CR and VR. Interobserver agreement was assessed using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) and κ statistics; bias with Bland–Altman analysis. Results Interobserver agreement for VR ranged from moderate to almost perfect (ICC/κ 0.60–0.94), except for the AI. LCE showed no significant bias with ( − 0.2° ± 2.5, p = 0.663) or without contrast ( − 0.2° ± 2.2, p = 0.530). Systematic differences occurred for AI, EI, anterior/posterior coverage, and ischial spine sign; 57–75% of discrepancies were within CR interobserver variation. Diagnostic classification showed substantial agreement between CR and VR (κ = 0.62), comparable to CR interobserver agreement (κ = 0.70). In asymptomatic participants, 13% had acetabular dysplasia, 68% normal coverage, and 19% overcoverage. Conclusion MRI-based VR provides acetabular morphology assessment comparable to CR and enables radiation-free evaluation in symptomatic patients and asymptomatic populations. Key Points Question Can MRI-based virtual radiographs reproduce conventional radiographic measurements of acetabular morphology, enabling radiation-free two-dimensional assessment in symptomatic patients and asymptomatic populations? Findings The lateral center-edge angle showed no significant bias between virtual and conventional radiographs; diagnostic classification of acetabular deformities agreed substantially (κ = 0.62), comparable to conventional radiograph interobserver agreement. Relevance Statement MRI-derived virtual radiographs can provide acetabular measurements comparable to conventional radiographs without ionizing radiation, supporting integration into three-dimensional surgical planning and enabling assessment in young patients and population-based cohorts where repeated radiographs are undesirable. Graphical Abstract
SN  - 2509-9280
ER  -