[Medical Q&A] Can children also suffer from femoral head necrosis?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Wang Jian, Chief Physician, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University

Children can also develop osteonecrosis of the femoral head.

Osteochondrosis of the femoral head in children is also known as "Perthes disease" and "avascular necrosis of the femoral head in children". The onset age is 2 to 12 years old, and it is more common in children aged 4 to 9. The nutrient blood vessels of the femoral head of boys are more prone to congenital abnormalities and defects than those of girls in terms of anatomy, so the incidence rate of boys is higher than that of girls.

At present, the cause of osteochondrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis in children is still unclear. When children are diagnosed clinically, the disease has usually developed to the late stage. The early symptoms of osteochondrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis are atypical and easily ignored by parents. These early symptoms ignored by parents mainly include the following three. ① Limping: Limping is an early symptom of osteochondrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis. If the child's limp is not obvious and the parents do not observe carefully, it is not easy to be discovered. Moreover, lameness is a transient symptom, which usually disappears after a few days and reappears soon. ② Pain: Hip pain or knee pain, which can generally be relieved after rest. Many parents mistakenly think that their children are tired from playing, or mistakenly think that it is growing pains, and usually do not pay attention to it. If the pain is mainly in the knee joint, it is easy to mistake it for knee arthritis or sprain, thus delaying diagnosis and treatment. ③ Hip inflexibility: The hip joint movement of children is limited, especially in abduction and internal rotation, and it is difficult to cross their legs.

Once a child has the above conditions, parents should be alert to the possibility of femoral head necrosis.