Giant synovial chondromatosis of hip

Abstract

Synovial chondromatosis is a rare, benign condition occurring due to metaplasia of synovium. A 65-year-old woman presented with pain in her right hip for 6 years. On examination, a swelling was palpable at the base of scarpa’s triangle and her right hip movements were restricted. Imaging modalities showed ossified nodules in the antero-inferior aspect of the hip joint, joint effusion and arthritic changes. We diagnosed the patient to have synovial chondromatosis with secondary arthritis of the hip joint. We performed a total hip arthroplasty with simultaneous synovectomy and extraction of the osteochondral loose bodies, 5 of which were about 2×2 cm in size. We found that excessive acetabular reaming was required due to craters, the osteochondral masses formed on the acetabular surface. Histopathological analysis confirmed the diagnosis. The patient had an excellent functional outcome and no recurrence 5 years following the surgery.