Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease at 100: a review of evidence-based treatment

The year 2010 is the 100th anniversary of the publication of the first 3 reports describing Legg- Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD). This paper summarizes available evidence previously published and discussed at the several world conferences honoring the occasion.

Relevant articles with evidence-based data regarding the efficacy of treatment methods for LCPD were reviewed by the author.

The reviewed studies noted 3 factors related to outcome in patients treated for LCPD as follows: the age at onset, the classification of severity of femoral head involvement, and the type of treatment. In patients over age 8 at onset, surgical treatment with femoral varus osteotomy or Salter innominate osteotomy was associated with improved Stulberg outcomes compared with nonoperative treatment, in those who had lateral pillar B or B/C border class involvement. In the Wiig et al study, patients over age 6 with Catterall 3, 4 classification had better outcomes with these surgical treatment methods compared with nonoperative methods. Children under age 6 at onset had a good prognosis except for a small number of patients between age 4 and 6 years with lateral pillar C involvement.

There is valid evidence of an association between surgical treatment of certain patients with LCPD and improved radiographic outcome.