A Tale of Bilateral Rapidly Progressive Osteoarthritis of the Hip—It Is Not Always the Steroid Injection

Abstract

Rapidly progressive osteoarthritis of the hip (RPOH) is an unusual subset of hip osteoarthritis (OA) in which a > 2 mm/year-rate of joint space narrowing occurs. RPOH has been associated with intra-articular steroid injection (IASI), with the incidence of RPOH following IASI ranging from 2.8%-21%. The occurrence of RPOH unrelated to IASI is rare, and not frequently reported. This report presents a unique case of RPOH in the bilateral hips of one patient. The first hip developed RPOH within 6 months following an IASI. Three years later, the second hip developed RPOH within 4 months without any injection or use of systemic steroid medication. The etiology of RPOH in the absence of IASI is unclear, and this case presents the opportunity to observe RPOH development due to different causes within the same individual.