Traumatic spinal cord injury leading to paraplegia or quadriplegia is a sudden event that is catastrophic to the patient and his family. An ideal rehabilitative program allows such a patient to achieve and maintain maximum functional potential.5, 7 One of the deterrents is heterotopic ossification around the hip joints. Reports have indicated that it occurs in 16 to 49 per cent of spinal cord injured patients.3, 4, 6, 9 The purpose of this paper is to discuss methods used in recognition, diagnosis and management of a patient with heterotopic ossification in the acute and mature phases.