Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease Symptoms are seen more often in male children but the condition can develop in girls. One of the first symptoms of Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease can be a subtle limp with or without pain. Children are most likely to develop this condition between the ages of 2 and 12.
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease affects the head or ball of the thighbone (femur). For reasons that are not well understood, the ball of the thighbone does not receive an adequate blood flow, which causes the bone cells to die and results in an unstable hip joint.
Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease Symptoms
Symptoms of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease may start slowly and seem insignificant. Your child may display a slight limp but may not complain of pain. If your child does complain of pain, it may only be present at times of activity in the early stages of this condition.
As the condition progresses, the child may complain of pain or stiffness in the hip, thigh, groin, or knee. The disorder typically affects only one hip but both hips could be involved.
You may notice that one of your child's legs appears to be shorter than the other or that the affected hip has limited flexibility or range of motion.
The time to take your child to the doctor is when you first notice a limp or any of the other symptoms. Early diagnosis and treatment is important and can minimize long-term complications of the hip such as a hip deformity or arthritis in the hip joint.
When you take your child to the doctor, he or she will perform a physical examination and test the range of motion in your child's hip. The doctor will also analyze your child's gait to detect any possible limp, which is typically one of the first Legg-Calve-Perthes disease symptoms.
For a complete diagnosis, your doctor will likely recommend an imaging test such as an x-ray of the hip, MRI, CT scan, or bone scan. These imaging tests will confirm the diagnosis and help your doctor determine how far the condition has progressed.
After your child is diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, your doctor will begin treatment with the main goal being to keep the ball of the thighbone in the proper alignment with the socket of the hip. This procedure is called containment.
To maintain this alignment, your doctor may brace the joint, use a cast, or use a traction device over the nighttime hours. Your child may need to use crutches to relieve stress on the hip.
Physical therapy will likely be prescribed to keep the joint mobile and maintain a good range of motion as the hip heals. If pain is a problem for your child, anti-inflammatory medications such as ibuprofen (i.e. Motrin, Advil) may be recommended. Aspirin is not recommended for young children.
Surgery is only an option if conservative treatment fails to restore blood flow to the head of the thighbone. The type of surgery will depend on the extent of damage to the hip and other factors.
With successful treatment, Legg-Calve-Perthes disease symptoms resolve, the blood supply to the bone returns, and normal hip function is restored.
Children under the age of six have a high success rate with treatment and are likely to recover completely. Children over the age of six can recover completely but are more likely to suffer some hip deformity or to develop arthritis later in life.
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