Knee Locking in Osteoarthritis due to Synovial Lipoma: A Case Report

Intra-articular synovial lipomas are very rare and only few cases have been reported till now. We are reporting a rare case of a unilateral intra-articular lipoma of osteoarthritic knee joint in a 62 years old male. Patient had two episodes of sudden locking of knee joint, which resolved spontaneously. A plain X-ray showed changes which were suggestive of osteoarthritis. Clinically, patient was diagnosed as a case of loose bodies in left knee joint. An arthrotomy was performed. After a Histopathological Examination (HPE) of loose bodies, a diagnosis of an intra-articular synovial lipoma was made. Due to wide differentials and varied clinical behaviour of loose bodies, lipoma should be included in differential diagnosis of osteroarthritic patients who complain of episodic locking of knees. Intraarticular lipomas, on arthroscopic guided excision, get cured permanently, with no recurrence. The differentiation of an intra-articular lipoma from a relatively more common entity, Lipoma arborescens, has also been discussed.