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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: perthes + disease + 0.20  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

Man?s lifetime battle of disease and cancer Times & Star, UK - Jul 24, 2008 Aged six, he was one of only four children in the world diagnosed with Perthes Disease, a condition where the top of the thigh bone softens and breaks down. ... Pyomyositis of tensor fascia lata: a case report 7thSpace Interactive (press release), NY - Jul 24, 2008 ... an early stage of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, infectious arthritis of the hip, rheumatologic diseases and extracapsular infection such as osteomyelitis. ... 10 Things You Didn't Know About Fred Smith U.S. News & World Report, DC - Jul 24, 2008 As a child, Smith had Legg-Calv?-Perthes Disease, a birth defect that causes arthritis in the hips. He used crutches and leg braces when he was young but ... A 62-year-old leatherneck hopes to earn his stripes on 'American ... OCRegister, CA - Jul 30, 2008 As a second-grader he was diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease, a condition that causes hip damage and knee pain. "I had a brace, elevator shoes, ... Karl and 'Kit' back from Scumball Rally Evesham Journal, UK - Jul 16, 2008 Mr Taylor, a quality engineering manager, did the event in aid of the Perthes Association. His son Max was diagnosed with the potentially crippling disease ... New Haven Independent Scooping & Hooping, On Wheels New Haven Independent,  USA - Jul 23, 2008 Levine can walk, but he suffers from Legg Perthes, a hip disorder that causes considerable pain after a half-hour?s exertion. He played a lot of ball, ...

Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease

Nearly a century ago, Perthes disease was described as a form of childhood arthritis that affected the hips.

Although it is still called a disease, it recognized today as a condition in which there is a temporary loss of blood supply to the hip. This causes the bone of the hip socket to die. Swelling and irritation develop as a result.

The signs of Perthes disease develop slowly over weeks or even months. A child may start limping and complaining of mild pain. Sometimes this pay is caused by muscle spasms due to the irritation of the joint. The pain may be felt in other parts of the leg such as the groin, thigh or knee. When the hip is moved, the pain worsens. Rest often relieves the pain.

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Perthes disease usually is seen in children two to 12 years old. It is five times more common in boys than girls.

Perthes is often diagnosed after an X-ray.

Treatment of Perthes disease will vary depending on the child's age and whether the child is a girl or a boy. (Girls tend to be affected more by the disease than boys.) During treatment, which may last two years or longer, the child will have a series of X-rays taken to monitor the impact of treatment. Usually, the X-rays look worse before gradual improvement can be seen.

Treatment for children between the ages of two and six with minimal changes visible on X-rays will be observed. Treatment for older children is usually more aggressive to preserve the child's range of hip motion.

Treatment focuses on three elements:

• Reducing the swelling in the hip joint with anti-inflammatory medications such as aspirin
• Restoring a range of motion in the hip with physical therapy and exercises. If this does not work, a brace or case may be used to keep the femoral head (ball) in the joint socket.
• X-rays to make sure the hip stays deep within the socket during healing
  

In some cases, surgery may be needed to keep the head of the leg bone deeply seated in the hip joint socket. Screws and plates may be used to keep the bones in place. These are removed later. Sometimes the socket itself must be made deeper because the head of the leg bone may have enlarged during the healing process.

After either procedure, the child is often placed in a cast from the chest to the toes for six to eight weeks.

After the cast is removed, the child will participate in physical therapy with protected weight bearing of the affected leg until X-rays reveal the final stages of the healing are under way.