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Diseases & Conditions

Perthes Disease Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment

Can Perthes disease be cured? What are the symptoms of Perthes disease? Perthes disease, which is one of the bones and joint diseases that occur during childhood and requires lifelong treatment and follow-up, is a disease usually seen in children between the ages of 4-10 years and causes problems such as limping while walking. Early diagnosis is essential in this disease, which is more common in boys. Early diagnosis of the disease and initiation of the treatment process in children in the period of growth are significant factors that help prevent the disease from becoming more serious and ensure healthy growth and development. Here, we will explain Perthes disease causes, symptoms, and treatment.

What Is Perthes Disease?

Perthes disease (also known as Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease) is a childhood disease affecting the hip. The disease is characterized by disruption of blood circulation in the head of the femur for an unknown reason and consequent death of bone tissue. It is not a very common disease and occurs in one in every 10,000 children. Perthes usually affects a single thigh, but in some cases, it develops on both sides, which can be confused with different diseases. It is likely to occur in children of any age from 1.5 to 15 years, but the most common age range is from 4 to 10 years. The disease is four times more common in boys than in girls.

Perthes Disease Causes

The exact causes of Perthes disease are unknown. Research is ongoing to investigate the factors that play a role in the development of the disease, and some of the reasons that are thought to increase the risk of this disease are as follows:

  • Male gender
  • Excessive mobility in childhood
  • Petite type of body structure
  • Coagulation disorder
  • Insufficiency of minerals such as calcium, phosphorus in bone formation
  • Hormonal disorders
  • Growing up in a smoking environment
  • Born with low birth weight
  • Genetic predisposition
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Perthes Disease Symptoms

The onset symptoms of Perthes disease are very mild and are therefore often ignored by children or parents. Sometimes it may be asymptomatic, and sometimes it may manifest itself as mild knee and hip pain. The severity of symptoms increases as the disease progresses. Common symptoms of Perthes disease include:

  • Pain in the hip and knee
  • Limp
  • Leg swelling
  • Short leg
  • Difficulty in joint movements

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Although the above symptoms are the most common ones, the symptoms vary from child to child. Since Perthes disease cannot be noticed by patients and parents due to the lack of symptoms in some cases, consulting a pediatric orthopedist is essential especially for pains that occur during childhood.

Perthes Disease Treatment

Perthes Disease Treatment

In Perthes disease, the treatment method and the details of the process are planned according to factors such as patient’s age and degree of disease as a result of detailed examination and diagnostic tests to be performed by a pediatric orthopedist. Early diagnosis of the disease is of great importance for increasing the success rate and facilitating the treatment process. In cases where the disease is diagnosed at an early stage, the patient should be followed up regularly by the pediatric orthopedist if the bone age of the child is below 6, and there is no major problem in joint movements. Especially during these ages, when children are more active, the treatment process will significantly limit the child’s movements. In some cases, especially in an advanced stage where the diagnosis can be made late, physical therapy may be recommended.

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This disease is a significant childhood orthopedic disease that develops due to the destruction of bone tissue at the point where the femur meets the hip as a result of unknown reasons. This disease, also known as Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease requires continuous and detailed medical follow-up from childhood to adulthood.

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