Perthes Disease...anyone heard of this?

[GloomyWaters]

My nephew has been limping for a while now been diagnosed with this ... he's 3.

Anyone know much about it?

My sister had it as a child you can ask me anything you need to know

I'm a children's physio. Also happy to answer your questions

He was limping a few months ago and said his leg hurt inside he had slipped off the bed. Went for an xray and they said he had a small fracture so put him.in a cast.

A few months on after cast was off...he has been limping...was in alot of pain last night. My niece took him.to A&E as GP said couldnt even get a call for a few days nevermind a visit. She knew it was something more.

In.hosp all night...lots of xrays...blood tests...now been diagnosed by the bone consultant with this.

Said dependant on how his bones grow and how serious it is...may grow out of it

My niece is so worried. Consultant is drafting up all notes and sending to GP and will see her again soon.

My sister had this when she was about 5 she is in her mid 40's now and is fully healed, can even walk in 5 in heels so treatment 40yeara ago worked, now treatment is probably different but i expect success rates are equal or better.

The physio will be able to talk better about the technicalities than I but i know its a problem with how the hip joint is forming in children. My sister had calipers to keep her hips immobile while the bones grew and healed. Cant speak for what they do now, but it worked.

It's a condition where the blood supply to the top of the leg bone is impaired which causes the hip joint to change shape.

There are different stages and it varies in severity from person to person.

The orthopaedic team will keep a close eye doing x-rays regularly to monitor the shape of the joint and will advise your niece accordingly as to how she can best help her son during that particular stage of the condition.

Usually management is to try to reduce high impact physical activity such as jumping (always tough with little ones) but his consultant will know best whether this is required in his case.

Physio is really helpful for maintaining movement and muscle strength. We usually offer hydrotherapy too. Swimming will be a lifesaver for burning up pent up energy and keeping the joint mobile and strong

Just to add, it's nothing your niece could have prevented just bad luck I'm afraid.

My brother had Perthes disease as a child and was in callipers for a couple of years and had no problems later. I have come across other children with this since then though not recently but medical treatment is definitely better now.

I worked with someone who had had this as a child. We only got talking about it because my puppy had just been diagnosed with it. I would never have known my colleague had had any problems or surgery because she was a really fit and active person - played hockey to a very high level, swimming, canoeing etc.

Hope all goes well.

Think she was abir in shock. Thank you for yr replies hopefully she will get more of an idea when she next goes to see the consultant

Family member diagnosed similar sort of age. Now 17, sport mad, gym bunny. It was a tough few years during treatment, and incredible to see how they've come through it.

As he's been diagnosed so young, it's likely he will be fine. A family member had perthes as a child, which wasn't diagnosed until his teens. (I'm going back a long time). The limp can come and go for quite a while, so don't be alarmed if he suddenly starts limping again after a period of seeming fine.

My mum has/had it and whilst she spent time in a cast in her toddler years, lead an active life doing walking, horseriding and yoga etc. She now has osteoarthritis in her 70s but unclear if that is a direct consequence or not.

Thanks everyone