Follow-up Study of Perthes' Disease Treated by the Abduction Weight Bearing Method

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to discuss the advantage of the abduction weight bearing treatment. Thirty-one patients with Perthes' disease treated by this method were evaluated at an average follow-up of ten years after onset. They were classified into four groups according to Catterall's method in the order of increasing severity of involvement of the femoral epiphysis. In each group the results were evaluated ragiologically. As the degree of epiphyseal involvement became severe, the result became worse. On the other hand, for less than six years old the results were good except for the cases of group 4. Although this method could not obtain good results in the case of group 3 and 4 because of the coxa magna, short neck and overgrowth of the greater trochanter, the articular surface of the femoral head was kept smooth and spherical. We believe this fact is an advantage of the abduction weight bearing treatment.