Perthes Disease in Children
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a rare disease that affects the hip joint. The Mayo Clinic states that the disease generally affects children, especially boys ages 4 to 8.
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Causes
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A lack of blood supply to the femoral head causes the joint to become flattened and no longer fit in its socket, according to the Children's Hospital at Westmead, Australia. The femoral head can break because of a deficiency of blood.
Risk Factors
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Active children who are small for their age and young people who are exposed to secondhand smoke are more at risk than other children for developing the disease, according to the National Osteonecrosis Foundation.
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Symptoms
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Symptoms of Legg-Calve Perthes disease include a limp; pain or stiffness in the hip, groin, thigh or knee; a shortened leg and/or a limited range of motion.
Diagnosis
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A doctor will usually have an X-ray done to look for irregularities in the hip joint. An X-ray can be used to rule out other medical conditions that affect the hip, such as hyperthyroidism and epiphyseal dysplasia. Sometimes a doctor will order a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan to get more detailed pictures of the hip joint and surrounding structures.
Treatment
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Children might be given crutches to keep weight off their hip or be taught range-of-motion exercises to strengthen their hip joint. Some children have to undergo surgery if their groin muscle becomes shortened because of limping, according to the Mayo Clinic. Other children undergo surgery to have their femoral head repositioned in its socket, according to the National Osteonecrosis Foundation.
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