Synovial chondromatosis of the ankle: report of two cases with 23 and 126 loose bodies.

Synovial chondromatosis is rare joint disorder that has no clear etiology. Classification of the disorder was first reported by Milgram in 1977.

One possible cause is a change in the level of fibroblast growth receptor factor receptor-3, which leads to a possible feedback loop that results in the formation of loose bodies. Genetics is another possible cause for the disorder. Synovial chondromatosis is considered benign but does the have the potential for malignant transformation.

We report the case of 2 patients with 23 and 126 loose bodies of the ankle, respectively, who had successful outcomes without malignancy, after excision of the lesions.

Also presented is a review of the published data for the possible causes of synovial chondromatosis and the symptoms leading up to the transformation from benign to malignant.