Abstract
PurposeThe main objective of the study was to present the influence of the morphological shape of the proximal femoral growth plate in children as one of the risk factors for the incidence of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) in adolescents.MethodsThis research is based on the X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data obtained for 100 children three to 13 years old, all treated at the Children’s Orthopaedic Clinic and Rehabilitation Department and Department of Radiology Medical University of Lublin between 2005 and 2009. We took into account 83 children with healthy hip joints and 17 children with SCFE. We also performed morphological analysis of the shape of the proximal femoral growth plate together with X-ray, CT and MRI examinations of the proximal ends of cadaver femurs for two children aged six and 13.ResultsIn the final findings we present an analysis of the shape of the proximal femoral growth plate in children between the third and 13th years of life and consider a correlation between the shape of the proximal femoral growth plate and its influence on the incidence of SCFE in adolescents.ConclusionsThe change of shape of the proximal femoral growth plate from pleated to more spherical is one of the risk factors for the incidence of SCFE in children ten years old and older.
Highlights
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a very specific type of disease where the head of the femur slips off the neck of the thigh bone
This research is based on the X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data obtained for 100 children three to 13 years old, all treated at the Children’s Orthopaedic Clinic and Rehabilitation Department and Department of Radiology Medical University of Lublin between 2005 and 2009
X-ray images demonstrate the characteristic shape of a growth plate of the proximal femoral epiphysis
Summary
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a very specific type of disease where the head of the femur slips off the neck of the thigh bone. The cause of SCFE is still unknown. The ultimate goal in SCFE treatment is to diagnose the condition as early as possible in order to prevent the head of the femur from slipping further, preventing hip deformity [6, 7]. Research at various medical centres throughout the world continue to investigate SCFE in efforts to improve treatment and prevention of this condition [8,9,10,11,12,13]. Because the growth plate appears to be most vulnerable to shear stress and injury in children, SCFE never occurs in a mature person once the growth plate has closed
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