... was named after the German surgeon Georg Perthes (1869–1927). Also known as Legg–Calve–Perthes disease, or Calve Perthes disease, or avascular necrosis, it is a childhood disorder which affects the head of the femur (the ball of the ball and socket joint of the hip). In Perthes disease the blood supply to the growth plate of the bone at the end of the femur (called the epiphysis) becomes inadequate. As a result the bone softens and breaks down (a process called necrosis).
The condition usually begins with hip or groin pain, or a limp. Sometimes knee pain is the first symptom. The pain persists and there may be wasting of the muscles in the upper thigh, shortening of the leg and stiffness of the hip, which can restrict movement and cause problems with walking.
It is not clear why this blood vessel problem occurs in the femoral head. It is not due to injury, or to a general blood vessel problem. A child with Perthes disease is usually otherwise well. Over several months the blood vessels regrow, and the blood supply returns to the 'dead' bone tissue. New bone tissue is then laid down and the femoral head regrows and remodels over several years. This is similar to how bone reforms and remodels after any 'normal' fracture or break to a bone, but it takes longer.
Perthes disease is not really a disease, but that was the name given to it when it was first discovered.
© Haydn Thompson 2017