Can you play sports with SCFE?
Depending on the severity of the slippage, most children may return to sports about 6 months after an operation to treat a slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Some contact and collision sports may be restricted, especially in children with more severe cases.
How rare is SCFE?
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a rare condition that is slightly more likely to occur in boys than girls. SCFE occurs in about one per 1,000 to one per 10,000 children and teens; children ages 12 to 14 years are most at risk.
How long does it take to recover from SCFE?
In general, expect that your child will need crutches or a walker for up to about four weeks after surgery for stable SCFE and for at least six to eight weeks for unstable SCFE. Your child will work with a physical therapist to help strengthen leg and hip muscles and improve range of motion.
Does SCFE cause avascular necrosis?
Avascular Necrosis In severe cases, SCFE may interrupt the blood supply to the femoral head. This can lead to a gradual and very painful collapse of the bone — a condition called avascular necrosis (AVN) or osteonecrosis.
Can SCFE happen again?
In SCFE, the “ball” (called the epiphysis) slips off of the top part of the femur, almost the way a scoop of ice cream might slip off a cone. Sometimes this happens suddenly — after a fall or sports injury, for example. But it can also happen gradually, with no previous injury.
Is SCFE a disability?
SCFE occurs through the unfused growth plate of the proximal femur where the femoral head slips posteriorly on the femoral neck. Serious consequences of the problem, such as gait disturbance, post-traumatic arthritis, chondrolysis and osteonecrosis of the femoral head can occur, leading to lifelong disability.
What happens if SCFE is left untreated?
The severity of the slip was determined by radiographs. Assessment included Iowa Hip Rating and grading of radiographic degenerative changes. The mean duration of patient followup from the onset of symptoms was 41 years. The mean patient age was 54 years old at review, and 13 years old at onset of symptoms.
How soon can you walk after SCFE surgery?
What happens after surgery? After surgery to fix a SCFE, the child will need to walk with crutches for 6 to 8 weeks. The child may be referred to a physical therapist for treatment during recovery. Follow-up is vital every 3 to 4 months for the next several years to recheck the treated hip.
Why does SCFE cause knee pain?
Sometimes SCFE can irritate the nerves that run down the leg so the person thinks the pain is coming from the knee. This type of pain is called referred pain, which means pain starts in one part of the body but is felt in another part.
Can SCFE happen in adults?
SCFE in adults is rare with only a handful of cases having been published so far. Most are sporadic but a few seem to show a familial inheritance. In adult SCFE, growth hormone deficiency leading to prolonged growth plate persistence seems to be a common factor.
Is SCFE hereditary?
Certain endocrine disorders are risk factors for SCFE, such as hypothyroidism and osteodystrophy. There may be a genetic predisposition to this condition (it runs in families). Boys are more often affected than girls.