Dislocation of the hip is a very severe injury and usually occurs after high-energy accidents. This injury is usually accompanied by a fracture either of the femoral head (Pipkin fractures) or of the acetabulum. Where the fracture is small, loose osteochondral bodies may remain within the joint and become interposed between the two articular surfaces of the femoral head and the acetabulum. These bodies must be removed in order to avoid extensive wear and, in the long term, degeneration of the joint.
A similar case was recently treated in a patient following a road traffic accident. After reduction of the dislocation, the patient was found to have loose osteochondral fragments on computed tomography. She underwent hip arthroscopy, at the Interbalkan Medical Centre in Thessaloniki, and the fragments were successfully removed. Good long-term function of the joint was thereby secured and severe degenerative changes were avoided.