What is Perthes disease?
Perthes disease, also known as Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, is a disease that affects the hips in the pediatric population (predominantly boys in the age group of 3 to 12 years).
Prognosis of the disease
In most cases, the femoral head will grow back normally, but the healing time can be up to two years or more. The main risk is that the femoral head will not shape properly and cause joint stiffness. The main factors that can influence the success of the treatment are: gender (boys have a higher percentage of good healing than girls), age (the older the subject, the more difficult it will be to shape the hip) and severity.
Perthes disease affects the hips of the pediatric population.
Symptoms of Perthes disease
The main symptom of Perthes disease is pain: the child experiences pain in the groin or knee as a result of physical activity and begins to limp. Hip movements become increasingly limited and the youngster may be observed to have difficulty opening the legs or turning the affected limb inward. When the disease is at an advanced stage, the patient adopts a particular posture and gait to limit the load on the limb.
Diagnosis of Perthes disease
The tests necessary to diagnose Perthes disease correctly and accurately are:
- MRI
- Ultrasound
- X-rays
- Bone scintigraphy
What are the causes of Perthes disease?
The causes of Perthes disease are still unknown. It is believed that a decrease in blood supply to the femoral head due to occlusion of the artery may lead to the onset of this disease. However, risk factors that favor the onset of this disease have been identified: maternal smoking during pregnancy, low birth weight and short stature, physical and skeletal growth retardation.
Treatments for Perthes disease
There is no specific treatment for Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease and it is necessary to evaluate, on a case-by-case basis, which technique is the most appropriate. Treatment can be conservative (observation, physiotherapy, use of braces in abduction and rest) and surgical. The advantages of surgery are the immediate results compared to conservative treatment: the femoral head is kept inside the acetabulum and the load on the affected limb is rapidly reduced.
Which specialist to contact?
The specialist to see in case of Perthes disease is an expert in Orthopedics or Pediatric Orthopedics.