Which issue may arise when scanning a proximal femur?

• A. Fractures and bowing of the legs
• B. Hip replacements and poor bone edge detection
• C. Excessive fat tissue covering the bone
• D. All of the above

Answer: (B)

When scanning a proximal femur, one of the significant challenges that may arise is related to hip replacements and the difficulty in detecting bone edges accurately. The presence of orthopedic hardware, such as hip replacements, can introduce artifacts in the imaging that obscure the underlying bone structure. These artifacts can lead to inaccurate assessment of bone density, which is critical for making clinical decisions regarding osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Moreover, the inability to detect bone edges properly can result in misleading results, as the system may struggle to delineate between the implant and the surrounding bone, potentially leading to biases in the measurements. The challenge is compounded if the hardware is complex and covers a large area compared to the natural bone, making precise analysis difficult.

While other issues, such as fractures or excessive fatty tissue, can also impact imaging, the particular challenge of hip replacements and the resulting poor edge detection is more specific and critical in the context of scanning the proximal femur. This is why the correct choice centers on the implications of hip replacements and detection difficulties.