Primary Synovial Chondromatosis of the Hip Joint: A Case Report.

INTRODUCTION

Primary synovial chondromatosis (PSC) is a rare benign disorder characterized by cartilaginous nodule formation within synovial tissue. Hip joint involvement is uncommon, and optimal surgical management remains debated.

CASE REPORT: We report a 27-year-old woman with a 2-year history of progressive right hip pain and functional limitation. Radiographic evaluation revealed multiple calcified loose bodies with mild joint space narrowing. The patient underwent safe surgical dislocation with complete loose body removal and partial synovectomy. Histopathological examination confirmed PSC. At 24 months, there is no evidence of early complications related to surgical dislocation, such as avascular necrosis, trochanteric osteotomy nonunion, and infection. We acknowledge that longer-term follow-up is necessary to exclude delayed recurrence or late complications such as heterotopic ossification which remains a limitation of our report.

CONCLUSION

Safe surgical dislocation provides excellent visualization and complete loose body removal in hip PSC while minimizing the risk of avascular necrosis. This technique represents a viable alternative to arthroscopic management, particularly for cases with large or numerous loose bodies.