Abstract： Objective To compare the diagnostic value of conventional MR imaging with MR arthrography for acetabular labral tears at 3.0 T MR imaging Methods Forty-four patients suspected of acetabular labral pathology were prospectively scanned with conventional MR imaging and MR arthrography of the affected hip joints. All MR data were retrospectively studied. Each acetabular labrum was divided into three regions of anterior, superior, and posterior, and the acetabular tear and its classification were recorded. Five patients underwent subsequent hip arthroscopy. Wilcoxon signed ranks test was used to compare the difference between MR imaging and MR arthrography, and Kappa value was adopted for the evaluation of agreement of these two techniques. Results One hundred and sixteen regions of acetabular labrum were evaluated to be concordant at MR imaging and MR arthrography. Only 16 regions had different results at MR imaging and MR arthrography, in which 9 were diagnosed to have tears at MR arthrography but non-tear at MR imaging, and 6 had tears at MR imaging but non-tear at MR arthrography, and the other one had tears at both exams but of different classifications. In 5 patients confirmed by hip arthroscopy, both the evaluations of MR imaging and MR arthrography were accordant with that of arthroscopy. There were no statistical difference between MR imaging and MR arthrography ( Z = 0. 347, P ＞ 0. 05 ) for diagnosing the acetabular labral tears, and good agreements (Kappa = 0. 781 ,P ＜ 0. 01 ) were found between these two methods. Conclusion Conventional MR imaging of hip joints at 3.0 T shows similar diagnostic value with MR arthrography in evaluating the acetabular labral tears.