What is Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease?
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is a temporary condition in children in which the ball-shaped head of the thigh bone, referred to as the femoral head, loses its blood supply. As a result, the femoral head collapses. The body will absorb the dead bone cells and replace them with new bone cells. The new bone cells will eventually reshape the femoral head of the thigh bone. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease causes the hip joint to become painful and stiff for a period of time. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease goes through four phases of changes that affect the head of the femur. The phases include: • Phase 1 – Blood supply is absent to the femoral head and the hip joint becomes inflamed, stiff, and painful. Portions of the bone turn into dead tissue. The ball of the thigh bone becomes less round in appearance on x-rays. This phase can last from several months up to one year. • Phase 2 – The body cleans up the dead bone cells and replaces them with new, healthier bone cells. The femoral head begins to remod
