Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Hip

Description: Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, 1940;22:327-348
Osteochondritis dissecans is as distinct an entity in the hip as it is in the knee or in the elbow. Diagnosis can be made only by the roentgenographic appearance, which is characteristic. Dislocation of the femoral head from the acetabulum is necessary for proper visualization and removal of the osteochondritic focus. Operative intervention should be undertaken only after careful consideration. In neither of the two cases reported did arthritis develop, although symptoms had been present for over twenty and ten years, respectively. In Case 1 there had been no change in the osteochondritic focus during six years of observation.