Fractures of the hips occurred without trauma in 2 women in whom hysterical reactions had been diagnosed previously. The symptoms and findings fit into a symptom complex of stiff-man syndrome, reported by Moersch and Woltman, and others. The pathophysiology of this disease is thought to occur in the spinal cord causing tentanic-like contractions. The muscles most frequently involved were of the abdomen, back, and legs. There has been a striking similarity of all cases reported in the literature being first diagnosed as hysterical reactions before the actual diagnosis was determined. Diazepam relaxes these spastic muscles through some action in the spinal cord. One of these patients has been treated with diazepam for the past 40 months with good results and relief of symptoms.