Perthes DiseasePerthes disease is a fairly rare condition which affects children, often between the ages of 5 and 8. The hip joint is still maturing during this period. The blood supply to the femoral head is temporarily reduced and as a result of this part of femoral head goes through a cycle of bone death (necrosis) followed by bone healing and remodelling. The hip continues to grow but with there is often some residual femoral head deformity. In other cases the condition heals fully and the femoral head develops normally. In cases where there is deformity of the femoral head this irregularity persists to adulthood and although patients don't often experience symptoms in their teenage years or even 20s, eventually arthritis develops because of the abnormal stress in the joint. | |
