[Early Signs of Poor Prognosis in Legg-Perthes-Calve Disease Treated by Femoral Varus Osteotomy]

A total of 126 Perthes diseases (112 patients) were studied. The treatment comprised intertrochanteric femoral varus osteotomy in every patient. In 20 patients (25 hips), the course of the disease was more severe than expected. The early radiological criteria for this severe course were: 1. Lateral calcification extending far laterally towards the greater trochanter, 2. Deformation and widening of the femoral head before the fragmentation phase, 3. The Saturn phenomenon; a sclerotic epiphysis surrounded by a ring of looser bony tissue, 4. Deformation and widening of the femoral neck at the initial phase of the disease, 5. Early wide sclerotic changes in the metaphysis. The overall results were poor. Two hips obtained a fair and 23 poor results. These described radiological changes are readily recognized at early phase of Perthes disease and indicate poor prognosis. In these cases varus osteotomy gave unsatisfactory results which means that other type of treatment in these patients should be considered.