Hereditary Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease

Abstract

Osteochondritis deformans coxae juvenilis was first described in 1909 by Legg and in 1910 by Calvé and Perthes. Today the disorder is known as Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease (LCPD). It is one of the commonest disorders of the hip in childhood,¹ mainly affecting children between 3-10. The disease is unilateral in 90% of cases, and according to the series of Gill ² preponderance of 85%-90% in boys is found. The disease is self-limiting and today it is most commonly accepted that avascular necrosis of the head of the femur is the immediate cause.^1,3 Therefore the term "osteochondritis" which implies inflammation is a misnomer. In the natural history of the disease there are three stages: (1) an early stage of bone necrosis, (2) a stage of regeneration with replacement of the necrotic bone by a viable one, and (3) a healed stage.⁴ If untreated the disease causes a various amount