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Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

• Overview
• Symptoms
• Treatment

Alternative Names:

Coxa plana; Perthes disease

Treatment:

The goal of treatment is to keep the ball of the thighbone inside the socket. Your doctor may call this "containment." Containment is achieved by maintaining a good range of motion of the hip.

Stiffness in the hip joint can be relieved with physical therapy and anti-inflammatories such as ibuprofen. When the hip is painful or the limp gets worse, it may help to restrict vigorous activity, such as running, to reduce the inflammation. Night-time traction may help.

Doctors no longer recommend several months of bedrest.

When these steps fail, surgery may be needed. Surgery ranges from simple lengthening of a groin muscle to major hip surgery to reshape the pelvis. The type of surgery depends on the severity of the problem and the shape of the ball of the hip joint.

Expectations (prognosis):

The outlook depends on the age of the patient and the severity of the disease. In general, the younger the age when the disease begins, the better the outcome.

Children younger than 6 who receive treatment are more likely to end up with a normal hip joint. Children older than age 6 to 8 are more likely to end up with a deformed hip joint, despite treatment, and to develop arthritis later in life.

Complications:

Osteoarthritis may develop later in life. This complication may be minimized with early recognition and proper treatment of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease.

Calling your health care provider:

Call for an appointment with your health care provider if a child develops any symptoms of this disorder.

• Review Date: 12/4/2006
• Reviewed By: Thomas N. Joseph, MD, Private Practice specializing in Orthopaedics, subspecialty Foot and Ankle, Camden Bone & Joint, Camden, SC. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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