Cheilectomy of the hip in children.

Cheilectomy of the hip is a salvage operation for patients with pain and limitation of motion caused by a mechanical blockage of an abnormally shaped femoral head. Eight patients ranging in age from 8 to 15 years were retrospectively reviewed in order to evaluate the intermediate-term results of cheilectomy to address the separate problems of pain, range of motion, and function. A mean follow-up of 5 years is reported.