Facts About Perthes Disease

Perthes disease, or Legg-Calve-Perthes disease as it's also known, is an illness that typically affects young boys. It usually appears between the ages of 5 and 7, and causes problems to the hip and thigh areas.

Definition

• Perthes disease decreases the amount of blood flowing to the thigh and femur. It can cause fractures and deformities in the hip and thigh bones.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of Perthes disease include a limited range of motion, a limp, and prolonged pain in the knee, upper leg or hip. However, some children never exhibit any symptoms of the disease.

Name

• The name of the disease comes from the doctors who first discovered it in 1910. Calve, Perthes and Legg each discovered the disease in a different patient and presented their findings that year.

Age Range

• Although Perthes disease usually presents between the ages of 5 and 7, it can occur in children as old as 12 and as young as 3. Young boys account for the majority of cases.

Prevalence

• Perthes disease is more common in children who are shorter than average, as well as in children who experience a growth spurt later in life. It's also more common in children who were born breech, and in Caucasians.