Hip Lateral is a radiography positioning projection of the Pelvis. Supine, affected femur abducted 45 degrees with hip and knee flexed. SID 40". The centering point is located at the femoral neck, midway between anterior and posterior pelvis.. The central ray is perpendicular to ir at the level of the femoral neck.. Image-quality criteria include femoral head, neck shown in true lateral profile., greater trochanter superimposed, not offset.. Standard exposure ranges from 75 to 85 kVp, 15 to 25 mAs, at an SID of 40 inches (102 cm).
Anatomy demonstrated
- Femoral head in profile.
- Femoral neck in profile.
- Greater trochanter superimposed.
- Acetabulum opened in lateral view.
- Proximal femoral shaft.
- Hip joint space.
Patient preparation
- CONTRAINDICATED in suspected hip or femoral neck fracture: use the Danelius-Miller axiolateral instead.
- Verify patient identity using two identifiers.
- Remove all radiopaque objects from hip region.
- Place patient supine on table.
- Flex the affected hip and knee, then abduct the femur 45 degrees from vertical.
- Keep the unaffected leg extended flat on the table.
Position & centering point
At the femoral neck, midway between anterior and posterior pelvis.
Central ray
Perpendicular to IR at the level of the femoral neck.
Exposure / technique
- kVp
- 75–85
- mAs
- 15–25
- SID
- 40" (102 cm)
- Notes
- Grid required. Abducting the femur 45 degrees projects the femoral neck free of foreshortening.
Image-quality criteria
- Femoral head, neck shown in true lateral profile.
- Greater trochanter superimposed, not offset.
- Acetabulum open and clearly demonstrated.
- Proximal femoral shaft seen as single contour.
- No motion blur; bone trabeculae sharp.
- Collimation: 2 inches beyond hip margins.
Common errors / ARRT traps
- 1 Insufficient abduction of the femur foreshortens the femoral neck.
- 2 Unaffected leg overlap obscures hip joint space.
- 3 Pelvic tilt obscures true lateral anatomy.
- 4 Off-centered CR clips femoral head or excessive pelvis.
Clinical indications
- Non-traumatic hip pathology, assessed in the lateral profile.
- Hip dislocation assessment (anterior/posterior direction).
- Post-operative hip hardware evaluation.
- Hip pain localization study.
Aligned to the current ARRT Radiography Content Specifications.