Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is the most common hip disorder among young teenagers. Your child's symptoms may come on suddenly, or they may build up over time. Often the first pain is in the knee or thigh. The sooner your child gets treatment, the better off he or she will be.

SCFE happens when the cartilage plate (epiphysis) at the top of your child's thighbone (femur) slips out of place. In a growing child, the plate is what controls the way the top of the thighbone grows. Itís also a pivotal part of the hip's ball and socket joint, so slippage of the epiphysis may severely deform your child.

Problems may include:

He or she can't turn the hip inward.
His or her foot turns outward.
His or her leg is measurably shorter.
He or she suffers too much pain to stand on it.

Symptoms? Cause? Diagnosis? Treatment?

Read More at: www.aaos.org