Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease

Pathophysiology: Legg-Calve-Perthes disease is a childhood condition that affects the hip, where the thighbone (femur) and pelvis meet in a ball-and-socket joint. It occurs when blood supply is temporarily interrupted to the ball part (femoral head) of the hip joint. Without sufficient blood flow, the bone begins to die — so it breaks more easily and heals poorly. Signs & Symptoms: Common symptoms include hip, knee, or groin pain, exacerbated by hip/leg movement, especially internal hip rotation.

Treatment: X-Rays of the hip may suggest and/or verify the diagnosis. X-rays usually demonstrate a flattened, and later fragmented, femoral head. A bone scan or MRI may be useful in making the diagnosis in those cases where x-rays are inconclusive. Usually, plain radiographic changes are delayed 6 weeks or more from clinical onset. So bone scintography and MRI are done for early diagnosis. Treatment is done by removing mechanical pressure from the joint until the disease has run its course.

Statistics: Patients with LCPD had significantly lower EQ-5D-3L and EQ VAS scores than the Swedish general population in all age groups. A total of 28% of our patient group had ASRS scores indicating they are likely or highly likely to have an ADHD diagnosis. A lower EQ-5D-3L score was significantly correlated with a higher total ASRS v1.1 score (ρ=-0.309**). Over 90% of our patient group was physically active on a moderate or high level, despite 52% reporting either some or severe problems with pain according to the EQ-5D-3L questionnaire.