Treatment of SCFE in a healthy 5-year-old child: case report and review

Bilateral Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis in a Young Girl Treated With Chemotherapy: A Case Report

CASE

A 1-year-old girl was treated with chemotherapy and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation because of CD40 ligand deficiency. Four years later, she presented with pain in her right leg, diagnosed as atypical acute slipped capital femoral epiphysis, without a clear cause, besides chemotherapy possibly. She was treated with fixation of the epiphysis with a cannulated screw. Two years later, the same diagnosis was made for the left hip and the same surgery was applied. After the 2-year follow-up, clinical outcomes were good.

CONCLUSION

Chemotherapy may be a risk factor for atypical slipped capital femoral epiphysis, even without the combination with radiotherapy.

Clinical Diagnosis of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis in a Child With Negative Radiological Findings: A Case Report

Slipped capital femoral epiphyses (SCFE) is considered to be a very common disorder among adolescent age group. Multiple risk factors have been reported such as obesity, endocrine disorders, vitamin D deficiency, and panhypopituitarism. The diagnosis of SCFE is important especially in its early stages as this would prevent complications and delay in surgical intervention. The diagnosis is mainly done by radiological imaging and clinical evaluation. However, clinical evaluation is often overlooked. Herein, we present a case of a seven-year-old with SCFE that was diagnosed late due to negative radiological imaging and received late surgical intervention. Therefore, it is recommended that orthopedic surgeons use their clinical sense and examination skills to diagnose SCFE promptly, in order to maintain a short follow-up window to prevent any delay in surgical management and to observe for any progression, even if the radiological findings are normal.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in children younger than 10 years old: clinical characteristics and efficacy of physeal-sparing procedures

We aimed to investigate the clinical characteristics of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) in patients aged less than 10 years and identify the efficacy of physeal-sparing procedures in this age group. Demographic data of 18 SCFE patients aged less than 10 years were compared with those of 71 older patients to investigate the clinical characteristics. The efficacy of physeal-sparing procedures (n=5) was investigated compared with that of in-situ screw fixation (n=13). Obese children were noticeably more common among SCFE patients aged less than 10 years (P=0.034). The slip angle improved significantly more in the physeal-sparing subgroups (P=0.038) without the occurrence of further slippage. Moreover, physeal-sparing procedures allow persistent growth of the proximal femoral physis. However, most of the patients in the physeal-sparing subgroup needed additional surgeries when the proximal femoral physis outgrew the implant. Obesity may be associated more with early-onset SCFE (onset<10 years). Physeal-sparing procedures are safe and effective in preventing leg-length discrepancy and allowing the remodeling of the deformed proximal femur in this age group.

Acute, unstable slipped capital femoral epiphysis with associated congenital coxa vara

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in patients younger than 10 years is rare and is often associated with some identifiable metabolic or endocrinologic abnormality. We present a case of a 5-year-old girl with an acute, unstable, severe slipped capital femoral epiphysis associated with congenital coxa vara and its surgical management. This association has not been described in previous literature. Surgical treatment is proposed and described.