Pelvic teardrop

Last revised by Raymond Chieng on 17 Jan 2024

Citation, DOI, disclosures and article data

Citation:

Gaillard F, Chieng R, Jones J, et al. Pelvic teardrop. Reference article, Radiopaedia.org (Accessed on 24 Apr 2024) https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-6300

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.53347/rID-6300

Permalink:

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/6300

rID:

6300

Article created:

27 May 2009, Frank Gaillard ◉ ◈

Disclosures:

At the time the article was created Frank Gaillard had no recorded disclosures.

View Frank Gaillard's current disclosures

Last revised:

17 Jan 2024, Raymond Chieng ◉

Disclosures:

At the time the article was last revised Raymond Chieng had no financial relationships to ineligible companies to disclose.

View Raymond Chieng's current disclosures

Revisions:

11 times, by 9 contributors - see full revision history and disclosures

Systems:

Musculoskeletal

Sections:

Signs

Tags:

stub, cases, refs

Synonyms:

Pelvic tear drop sign
Pelvic tear-drop
Pelvic tear drop
Köhler's teardrop
Kohler teardrop
U-figure

The pelvic teardrop, also known as U-figure or Köhler teardrop, is a radiographic feature seen on pelvic x-rays and results from the end-on projection of a bony ridge running along the floor of the acetabular fossa (cotyloid fossa).

This was shown to be the case by demonstrating that sawing away this bony plate made the feature disappear. It has also been confirmed by Vare in 1952 by applying a thin "strip of lead foil applied to the acetabular fossa and curving round the inferior margin of this, up over the inner wall of the lesser pelvis as far as the iliopectineal eminence."

In adults, it may be used as a marker for measurement of the acetabular angle and Köhler teardrop distance (see Waldenström sign).

One of the features of Paget disease of the pelvis is disappearance of the pelvic teardrop.