Regional migratory osteoporosis and transient osteoporosis of the hip: are they all the same?

We hypothesized that regional migratory osteoporosis (RMO) and transient osteoporosis of the hip (TOH) terms describe a common disease process. Therefore, based on our patient, we aimed to review the pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment of both diseases. The patient was a pregnant woman in her third trimester with sacral insufficiency fracture, which was shortly followed by migratory arthralgia of both hips and ankles in a proximal to distal direction. She was operated (core decompression) for both hips and ankles, and she was symptom free at 17th month. RMO and TOH have an unclear etiology, share the similar course, and bear a self-limiting nature. Both disorders may be the same clinical entity with a common pathogenesis. Probably, many of RMO patients were labeled as TOH, and therefore, RMO has been underrepresented. In conclusion, we think that both RMO and TOH describe a common disease process. Either the diagnosis is RMO or TOH, the management will be the same. Finally, the conservative treatment protocol is a better treatment modality and must be obeyed even in resistant cases.