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Results of Treatment for SCFE: Good But Not Perfect

Surgeons from Shriners Hospital for Children in Erie, Pennsylvania report on
the long-term results of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE). They compared their results with previous studies.

In this condition, the growth center of the hip (the capital femoral epiphysis) actually slips backwards on the top of the femur (the thighbone). The children in this study were all treated with a screw to hold the epiphysis in place.

Results were measured an average of seven years later. Some patients were followed for as long as 26 years. Range of motion, strength, and function were compared to age-matched subjects with normal hips. Leg length was also measured and compared from side to side. Symptoms such as pain, tenderness, and limping were recorded.

The authors report good-to-excellent results for most patients. Most hips were stable with only mild loss of strength or motion. X-rays showed an improved, but not perfect, hip angle. Only a small number of patients had signs of hip osteoarthritis.

The authors suggest that the amount of residual (remaining) hip deformity does influence the final results. Early degenerative changes are more likely in
patients with a greater slip of the epiphysis. Slightly less function and more pain was reported in patients with deformity still present later in life.

References: James A. DeLullo, MD, et al. Femoral Remodeling May Influence Patient Outcomes in Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. In Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research. April 2007. No. 457. Pp. 163-170.

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