Table of Contents
What does SCFE stand for?
Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) a disorder of adolescents in which the growth plate is damaged and the femoral head moves (“slips”) with respect to the rest of the femur. The head of the femur stays in the cup of the hip joint while the rest of the femur is shifted.
Is SCFE a medical emergency?
SCFE is usually an emergency and must be diagnosed and treated early. In 20 to 40 percent of affected children, SCFE will be present in both hips at the time the child is diagnosed. If only one hip is affected, the other hip will eventually slip 30 to 60 percent of the time. Treatment is surgical.
How do you diagnose SCFE?
SCFE is diagnosed through physical exam including rotation of the affected leg, observation while walking and X-rays. A MRI may be ordered if the diagnosis is not able to be made with X-rays and your healthcare provider still suspects your child has SCFE.
What is a SCFE fracture?
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a hip condition that occurs in teens and pre-teens who are still growing. For reasons that are not well understood, the ball at the head of the femur (thighbone) slips off the neck of the bone in a backward direction.
How do you treat SCFE?
SCFE is always treated with surgery to stabilize the growth plate that slipped. But even before the surgery, the doctor will try to prevent any further slipping by encouraging rest and the use of crutches to avoid putting weight on the affected leg.
Why does SCFE happen?
In SCFE, the “ball” (called the epiphysis) slips off of the top part of the femur, almost the way a scoop of ice cream might slip off a cone. Sometimes this happens suddenly — after a fall or sports injury, for example. But it can also happen gradually, with no previous injury.
What happens if SCFE is not treated?
Untreated SCFE may result in progressive deformity and pain, destabilization of the femoral epiphysis, and decreased range of motion of the hip joint.
What causes avascular necrosis of femoral head?
It can occur due to a variety of causes, either traumatic or atraumatic in origin. These causes include fractures, dislocations, chronic steroid use, chronic alcohol use, coagulopathy, congenital causes; among many others.
What is Skiffy surgery?
During surgery for SCFE, the doctor will probably reposition the slip in the hip. Then, the doctor will make a small cut (incision) near your child’s hip. The doctor will put a metal screw through the bone and the growth plate in the cap of the femoral head. This helps make the bone stable.
What causes a hip to slip?
Hip instability is a loose or wobbly hip joint that’s usually caused by problems with the ligaments (the bands of connective tissue that hold bones or joints together). In hip dislocation, the ball at the end of the thighbone is pushed out of the socket. This painful condition requires medical treatment.
Is AVN an emergency?
In summary, this case illustrates that AVN, an orthopedic emergency, can be the presenting manifestation of Cushing’s disease. Thus, CS should be suspected in every patient that presents with AVN in the absence of other predisposing factors, such as alcohol abuse or exogenous glucocorticoid administration.
Can you run with SCFE?
A good, stable connection at your hip joint is what lets you walk, run, make that jump shot, and shake it on the dance floor.
Why does SCFE cause knee pain?
SCFE irritates the nerves in the leg causing referred pain (pain that originates in one part of the body but is felt in another). In this case, pain originates in the abnormal hip joint but is felt in the thigh and around the normal knee joint.