What Is Leg Calf Perthes Disease?
Leg Calf Perthes Disease affects the hip of young children. LCPD occurs when the head of the thigh bone, the femur, starts to deteriorate due to insufficient blood supply to the hip area.
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Causes
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The cause of LCPD is unknown, but eMedicine.com suggests that LCPD can be caused by the changes to a child's epiphyseal growth plate or the interruption of the blood supply to the top of the femur. It can be caused by a simple leg or hip fracture that the child got from normal activity.
Who is Most Likely to get LCPD
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According to eMedicine.com, LCPD is mostly found in Caucasian males who are between the ages of 3 and 12, with a median age of 7. Males are four to five times more likely to get LCPD then females.
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Symptoms
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Symptoms of LCPD include knee, hip and pelvis pain; limping noticeably, or aches that won't go away.
Treatments
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A doctor may use a brace or cast on your child's leg so that their legs can stay in a certain position while new bone cells grow. This is referred to as containment of the hip. Bad cases of LCPD may require surgery.
After Childhood
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As long as your child has follow-up treatments during childhood, he will do well into adulthood.
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References
- Photo Credit Image by Flickr.com, courtesy of woodley wonderworks
