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Some childhood hip diseases can cause problems in the teenage years. This is true of both slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) and Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (Perthes).
Both conditions affect the ball and socket of the hip. They can cause pain and loss of mobility as someone heads into adulthood.
But there's hope at the Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Hip Preservation Program at UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. We specialize in surgeries that correct deformities caused by SCFE and Perthes.
Call 412-692-5530 to make an appointment with one of our hip disease experts.
With SCFE, the femoral head (the "ball" part of the thigh bone) slips off of the femoral neck. Though pediatric orthopaedic surgeons can fix the femoral head with a screw, it often leaves children with hip impingement (loss of motion) which can cause pain. This impingement results from a complex deformity of the upper thigh bone. Surgeons typically can’t correct it until you're fully grown.
With Perthes disease, the femoral head loses its blood supply. Without adequate blood supply, the bone softens and collapses. While the bone eventually hardens after a return of blood flow, it has often lost its ideal round shape.
A misshapen hip joint can cause pain and issues with mobility as children move into their teenage years. Once you're fully grown, surgeons can correct the hip joint with:
Both conditions are childhood hip diseases.
Most young people who come to the AYA Hip Preservation Program have been living with a diagnosis for years.
Teens and young adults who may have had prior treatment for SCFE or Perthes may suffer symptoms such as:
In time, these symptoms can affect quality of life. This is why many young adults who have stopped growing seek a more permanent treatment for their hip condition.
First, we take a medical history and do a physical exam.
The doctor will also ask you to do various range-of-motion tests to see how your hips move.
Our goal is to find out your degree of hip deformity and how it's impacting your life.
To better plan for treatment, we'll x-ray your hip joint.
Advanced imaging tests we use to see the degree of hip joint damage include:
At the AYA Hip Preservation Program, we have expert training in interpreting these imaging studies. That matters for helping to figure out the correct course of treatment for your SCFE or Perthes.
At the AYA Hip Preservation Program, our goal is to help you enjoy a pain-free life. As a teen or young adult, treating these conditions often requires surgery.
We tailor our surgical options for each young person we see.
Some issues we'll talk with you about include:
The three main types of surgeries we do to correct problems from Perthes disease and SCFE are:
Our on-site physical therapist, Ashley DiSantis, DPT, OCS, is integral to your care team. She's with you both before and after surgery to help you make a full recovery.
To make an appointment for SCFE or Perthes disease, call 412-692-5530.
Children's Hospital's main campus is located in the Lawrenceville neighborhood. Our main hospital address is:
UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh One Children’s Hospital Way 4401 Penn Ave. Pittsburgh, PA 15224
In addition to the main hospital, Children's has many convenient locations in other neighborhoods throughout the greater Pittsburgh region.
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