What are the long-term effects of Perthes?
The long-term effects of Perthes disease are related to the residual deformity of the femoral head and the mismatch between the deformed femoral head and the acetabulum. One long-term study found that if the femoral head is moderately deformed (Stulberg classification III), about 58 percent of the patients had X-ray signs of degenerative arthritis by their late 40s and 50s. In this study, those children with late-onset disease (age 8 or older) had a greater risk of developing arthritis. A study at TSRHC by Dr. Herring and co-authors found that with early-onset disease 80 percent of the patients had a good outcome.
