"EVALUATION OF THE CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM FOR LEGG-CALVE-PERTHES DISEASE AND ITS IMPACT ON PROGNOSIS FOLLOWING SALTER OSTEOTOMY"

• Grant number: 11/23561-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: April 01, 2012
• End date: March 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Surgery
• Principal Investigator: Eiffel Tsuyoshi Dobashi
• Grantee: Isabel Moreira Borelli
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Although Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease affect patients with skeletal immaturity, most of the times conventional x-rays make their diagnosis. However, this exam just allows the visualization of the non-ossified hip structures and the cartilaginous structures are not possible. Then this exam permits limited conclusions and many times and sometimes mistaken to establish the femoral head position regarding the acetabulum, that is fundamental to indicate the adequate treatment. Because these facts it is necessary to call upon other exams such arthrogram and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to determine therapeutics. Many authors point out the importance of MRI to detect early the femoral head necrosis and allow us to evaluate the femoral head shape and physiopathology of the children's hips affected by the disease. The treatment of this condition have the following purposes: 1.Reestablish the hips' mobility; 2. Obtain and maintain the femoral head continuity and congruency with the acetabulum to prevent and correct the hip's subluxation. The prognosis of LCPD is based on the possibility of femoral head deformity and the possibility of the secondary osteoarthritis appearance due to this deformity. In late phases of the disease, usually we perform surgical treatment with the intention of correct the preexisting deformities. There is no definition of the best method of evaluation to indicate adequate treatment.