When should intravenous contrast material be administered for hip MRI?
In general, intravenous contrast material is not needed, except to differentiate solid from cystic soft tissue masses or to localize an abscess prior to drainage. Occasionally, it is used in cases of osteonecrosis to differentiate enhancing viable from nonenhancing necrotic bone. Intraarticular contrast for MR arthrography is very useful to assess for presence of labral tears.
