Sunday, February, 12, 2012

Legg-Calve-Perthes disease

Table of Contents

Alternative Names

Coxa plana; Perthes disease


Symptoms

The first symptom is often limping, which is usually painless. Sometimes there may be mild pain that comes and goes.

Other symptoms may include:

  • Hip stiffness that restricts movement in the hip
  • Knee pain
  • Limited range of motion
  • Persistent thigh or groin pain
  • Shortening of the leg, or legs of unequal length
  • Wasting of muscles in the upper thigh

Signs and tests

During a physical examination, the health care provider will look for a loss in hip motion and a typical limp. A hip x-ray or pelvis x-ray may show signs of Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. An MRI scan may be needed.


Review Date: 09/16/2010
Reviewed By: Sameer Patel, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Columbia University, New York, NY. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)