Acute osteochondral injuries of the hip

Acute osteochondral injuries of the hip are rare in the absence of associated dislocation. A series of cases is presented in which these injuries were sustained after relatively minor trauma to the hip. Radiologic studies revealed evidence of mild hip dysplasia and, in one case, an osteochondral fracture of the right femoral head. Scintigraphy revealed the fracture and unexpected uptake in the acetabulum, which was subsequently confirmed as being due to labral tears or acetabular osteochondral injuries. In addition, the scan showed evidence of a possible avulsion-type injury of the iliofemoral ligament, suggesting the mechanism of subluxation.