Is this a Male or Female hip?

After making a mistake earlier today, I thought it’d be a good time to review some basics.

Before we begin – is this a male or female pelvis?

Normal pelvis of an adult
Case courtesy of Dr Ian Bickle, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 37956

Read on if you don’t know!

How do you tell the difference between a male and female pelvic bone on an x-ray?

Here are two patients.

Here are some ways to tell the difference

#1: Look at the public arch

In males this angle is sharp. In females it looks wider.

#2: Look at the pelvic inlet

In males the appearance is ‘heart shaped’. In females it is round

#3 Most easy way: Look at the soft tissue

In males you see a penis. Aha! In females… you don’t.

So, with this in mind? Is the x-ray patient male or female?

The answer is… male

Acknowledgement of pictures:

Case courtesy of Dr Ian Bickle, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 37956
Case courtesy of Dr Chris O’Donnell, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 16501
Case courtesy of Dr Charlie Chia-Tsong Hsu, Radiopaedia.org, rID: 19267