Delhi: Doctors remove 32 loose bodies during rare knee surgery in hospital

Delhi: In a rare and complex medical achievement, 32 intra-articular loose bodies weighing a total of 250 grams were removed during a Total Knee Replacement (TKR) surgery on a 65-year-old woman at Fortis Hospital. The largest of these growths measured nearly 4 cm, with several comparable in size to walnuts — a combination seldom recorded in orthopaedic literature worldwide.

The surgery was led by Dr (Prof) Amite Pankaj Aggarwal, Principal Director and Head of Department at the Fortis Bone and Joint Institute. The patient, who had been struggling with severe knee pain, stiffness, and deformity for years, was discharged in stable condition just six days after the procedure.

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Pre-operative X-rays revealed widespread calcified loose bodies inside the joint, later confirmed during surgery as 32 separate growths identified as secondary synovial chondromatosis — a rare condition in which cartilage nodules form within the joint cavity. All loose bodies were removed prior to the knee replacement, ensuring successful reconstruction.

“This was an extremely advanced and rare case,” said Dr Aggarwal.

“The joint cavity was packed with 32 loose bodies, some nearly the size of walnuts. The combined weight of over 250 grams is exceptional, and performing a knee replacement in such a compromised joint required meticulous planning and advanced surgical techniques. The patient responded well, experiencing pain relief and improved joint mobility within days. For us, the real success is restoring her quality of life after years of suffering.”

Mahipal Singh Bhanot, Business Head, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram, said the case highlighted Fortis’s clinical excellence.

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“Managing one of the heaviest documented intra-articular burdens during a knee replacement reflects the expertise of our team. It underscores our commitment to delivering world-class outcomes that restore not only health but dignity and mobility to patients,” he noted.