The femoral head is the rounded, ball-shaped upper end of the femur that articulates with the acetabulum of the pelvis to form the hip joint. In neonatal and infant ultrasound, evaluating the femoral head and its relationship to the acetabulum is the primary focus of hip ultrasound performed to screen for developmental dysplasia of the hip. In infants, the femoral head is largely cartilaginous, which makes it well-suited for ultrasound evaluation because the cartilage is easily penetrated by sound waves. The sonographer assesses the position, coverage, and stability of the femoral head within the hip socket, using measurements like the alpha angle to determine whether the hip is developing normally.
Sonography Term