Where Can You Get a Hip Dysplasia Assessment in London?
You can get a private hip dysplasia assessment at ScanAlign, standing EOS imaging in Harley Street. EOS captures your pelvis and hips while you stand, so the image shows how your hip socket covers the femoral head under real body weight, with about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less.
Key Takeaways
- Hip dysplasia in adults is often missed because lying-down imaging hides how the socket loads under weight.
- A standing EOS scan shows the pelvis, hips and legs in one full-length view, capturing alignment as it really is.
- ScanAlign is a self-pay diagnostic clinic at 19 Harley Street. No GP referral is needed.
- EOS uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less.
- Your report can support a second opinion or referral to a hip preservation surgeon.
What is hip dysplasia in adults?
Hip dysplasia in adults means the hip socket (acetabulum) is too shallow to cover the ball of the thigh bone properly. This leaves part of the femoral head uncovered, which concentrates load on a smaller area of cartilage and can lead to pain, stiffness and early wear.
It is sometimes called developmental dysplasia of the hip, because the shape often starts developing before or shortly after birth. Many people live with a mildly shallow socket for years without knowing. Symptoms may only appear in the twenties, thirties or later, when cartilage begins to thin under repeated uneven loading.
What are the signs of adult hip dysplasia?
The most common sign is a deep, aching groin pain that gets worse with activity. You may also notice stiffness, clicking, or a feeling that the hip is unstable. Symptoms can be vague, which is one reason the condition is often misdiagnosed or overlooked.
Important: If you experience sudden severe hip pain, numbness, weakness in your leg, or loss of bladder or bowel control, seek urgent medical attention from your GP, 111, or A&E rather than booking a scan.
Why does a standing scan matter for hip dysplasia?
A standing scan matters because hip coverage changes when you are upright. Lying down on a traditional X-ray table lets gravity flatten the pelvis and relax the muscles around the hip. This can make a shallow socket look more normal than it really is. When you stand, body weight pushes through the joint, and any shortfall in coverage becomes visible.
EOS captures the full skeleton from head to feet while you stand naturally. The pelvis, both hips and both legs appear in a single calibrated image. Your specialist can measure how well the socket covers the femoral head under genuine load, and see whether a leg-length difference or pelvic tilt is changing the picture at the hip.
A standard lying-down X-ray shows the hip joint, but without body weight pressing through it. The pelvis may tilt differently on the table, and the image often crops the legs and spine, so compensations elsewhere in the chain are invisible. A shallow socket that causes trouble on your feet may look borderline when you lie flat.
Your body is a connected chain from feet to head. A shallow hip socket can tilt the pelvis, which shifts the lower spine, which makes the knee compensate on the other side. EOS captures that entire chain in one image, helping explain symptoms that single-area scans miss.
When MRI is the better tool: EOS shows bones, joints and alignment. If your specialist suspects a labral tear, cartilage damage or soft-tissue problems around the hip, MRI is usually the better choice. The two scans complement each other well.
How does a hip dysplasia assessment work at ScanAlign?
The assessment follows four straightforward steps, from initial conversation to a report you can share with any specialist.
You speak with our radiographer to discuss your symptoms and confirm the scan is appropriate for your situation. No GP referral is needed.
You arrive at the clinic, change into simple clothing with no metal, and step into the EOS scanner. The scan itself takes only a few minutes while you stand still.
The EOS system produces a calibrated, full-length image of your skeleton under load, with about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray.
Your report includes the relevant hip and pelvis measurements. You can take it to your own consultant, a hip preservation surgeon, or use it for a second opinion.
Want to find out whether a standing hip assessment is right for you?
Book a free video consultationWho should consider a standing hip dysplasia scan?
A standing assessment is most useful when you already have hip symptoms, inconclusive previous imaging, or a suspected alignment problem that standard scans have not explained.
- Groin pain with no clear diagnosis from previous imaging
- Known or suspected shallow hip socket
- Considering a second opinion before surgery
- Leg-length difference or pelvic tilt affecting the hip
- Wanting a full alignment picture for a hip preservation consultant
- Suspected labral tear or cartilage damage (MRI is better)
- Acute injury needing emergency assessment
- Unable to stand unaided for a few minutes
Frequently asked questions
No. ScanAlign is a self-pay clinic, so you can book directly without a GP referral. You start with a free video consultation to make sure the scan is appropriate for you.
Pricing details are available on our booking page. ScanAlign is self-pay, with no hidden extras.
EOS uses about 90% less radiation than a standard X-ray, around ten times less. It is one of the lowest-dose skeletal imaging systems available.
ScanAlign provides diagnostic imaging, not treatment recommendations. Your report gives your consultant accurate measurements to help them decide whether surgery, such as a periacetabular osteotomy, is appropriate.
When you lie down, gravity changes how the pelvis sits, and the socket can look like it covers more of the femoral head than it really does. Standing imaging shows the joint under real load, giving a truer picture of coverage.
The report includes standard hip and pelvis measurements used by orthopaedic and hip preservation specialists, taken from a calibrated standing image. These are provided in clinical terms your consultant will recognise.
The scan itself takes only a few minutes. You simply stand still inside the EOS system while it captures a full-length image of your skeleton.
Yes. The report and images are yours. You can share them with any consultant, hip preservation surgeon, or physiotherapist you choose.
ScanAlign is at 19 Harley Street, London, inside The Harley Street Hospital. The nearest Tube stations are Oxford Circus and Regent's Park.
No. EOS shows bones, joints and alignment. For soft-tissue structures such as the labrum, cartilage or surrounding muscles, MRI is usually the better tool. Your radiographer can advise during the free video consultation.
Ready to see your hips under real load?
Start with a free, no-obligation video consultation. We will help you decide whether a standing hip assessment is the right next step.
Book a free video consultationAuthor: Abbas Dhami (Specialist Diagnostic Radiographer)
Sources
- Clohisy JC, Carlisle JC, Beaulé PE, et al. A systematic approach to the plain radiographic evaluation of the young adult hip. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2008;90 Suppl 4:47-66.
- Illés T, Somoskeöy S. The EOS imaging system and its uses in daily orthopaedic practice. Int Orthop. 2012;36(7):1325-1331.
- NHS. Hip dysplasia. nhs.uk (accessed 2024).
This page is general information and not a diagnosis.
ScanAlign is the trading name of CoreMed Solutions Ltd and operates under The Harley Street Hospital's CQC licence.