Sometimes the bones of the hip joint can become misaligned during adolescence. When the ball portion of the hip slips with respect to the thigh bone (femur) in a backward motion, it is called slipped capital femoral epiphysis. This condition requires immediate treatment in order to avoid complications, like osteonecrosis (death of bone tissue) in the hip.
Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis: What You Need to Know
- Slipped capital femoral epiphysis usually occurs in adolescents and frequently takes place after a growth spurt.
- This condition occurs about twice as often in boys as it does in girls.
- Slipped capital femoral epiphysis can also be caused by trauma, such as slipping and falling.
- Common symptoms include knee or hip pain and intermittent limping for several weeks or months.
- The condition is diagnosed by X-ray and a physical examination.
- A slipped capital femoral epiphysis is treated with surgery to stabilize the ball-and-socket joint of the hip.
Why Choose Johns Hopkins for treatment of slipped capital femoral epiphysis?
Our Physicians
Rely on the expertise of our physicians to treat slipped capital femoral epiphysis in your child.
