Acetabular sourcil

Last revised by Henry Knipe on 20 Jul 2022

The acetabular sourcil is a radiographic feature seen on plain radiographs of the hip and pelvis as well as coronal CT reformats and MR images.

Gross anatomy

The acetabular sourcil refers to the roof or the weight-bearing area of the acetabulum and is characterized by increased sclerosis. It normally has a concave shape and is congruent with the femoral head 5

Clinical importance

An upsloping lateral or flattened/incongruous sourcil indicates acetabular dysplasia and hip instability 1,4, a downsloping sourcil leads to pincer morphology 5.

Its medial and lateral edges are important landmarks for several signs and measurements in the evaluation of hip morphology 1,2:

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