Osteochondrosis of Capital Epiphysis of Femur (Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease)

The course of osteochondrosis of the epiphysis of the head of the femur has been studied in 76 boys and 14 girls, many of them followed up as long as 25 years after completion of treatment. It is agreed that weight-bearing must be prevented during the initial period of destruction of the femoral head, but there is disagreement as to how it can best be prevented and how soon it can be resumed during the period of regeneration. In any individual patient these two periods were essentially equal in duration. The average duration of symptoms before admission was 7 months, 24 days; the average age of the patients at admission was 7 years, 10 months. In patients over the age of 8 years the end-result was poor, regardless of the type of treatment. In the youngest patients, with early diagnosis, the end-results were excellent provided weight-bearing was prevented. The most effective of the methods tried for the restriction of weight-bearing was bed rest with Buck's extension.