Late presentation of a displaced subcapital fracture of the hip in transient osteoporosis of pregnancy.

Abstract

Transient osteoporosis of the hip is rare and has two demographic peaks, one during the third trimester of pregnancy and the other around the fifth to sixth decade of life. During pregnancy, osteoporosis presents with insidious onset of hip pain and antalgic limp with no antecedent infection or trauma. Radiographs show pronounced osteopenia of the femoral head and neck with preservation of the joint space. 1 Bone scan and magnetic resonance imaging are sensitive but not specific for diagnosis, and laboratory studies are typically normal. 2 We present the case of a patient with a displaced, grossly unstable subcapital hip fracture who presented 5 months postpartum and describe successful treatment by open reduction and internal fixation with a muscle-pedicle bone graft.