Transient osteoporosis of the hip in a non-pregnant woman

Abstract

Transient osteoporosis of the hip is a rare, self-limiting condition, occurring most commonly in middle-aged men, but also sometimes in women, usually in late pregnancy. It is characterised by gradual onset of hip pain aggravated by weight bearing without any associated history of trauma and systemic illness. It is usually of unknown aetiology, but pregnancy is a recognised risk factor for women. Other conditions that can mimic transient osteoporosis of the hip on MRI are osteonecrosis, osteomyelitis and neoplasms. We present a case of a 38-year-old non-pregnant woman with transient osteoporosis of the hip, managed conservatively, leading to a full recovery. Treatment is conservative, including protected weight bearing, physical therapy and non-steroidal analgesics. The patient was completely painless and symptom free at 2-year follow-up.