Treatment outcome in the most severely affected Legg-Perthes patients, comparing prolonged traction in abduction with femoral varus derotation treatment.

Purpose: Compare conservative and operative treatment in the most severely affected Legg-Perthes disease patients.

Methods: 29 patients (14 conservative and 15 operative) with 32 affected hips (16 conservative and 16 operative) were evaluated, all Catterall 3 or 4. The conservative group, with a median age-at-onset of 4.8 (range, 2.5-9.5) years, was treated by a rigorous regime of traction in abduction for an average of two years. Follow-up was performed at a median of 28.6 (range, 17.4-31.6) years with a median patient age of 34.1 (range, 19.9-39.3) years. The operative group, with a median age-at-onset of 4.7 (range, 2.0-7.8) years, was treated by femoral varus derotation osteotomy. Follow-up was performed at a median of 14 (range, 8-21.4) years, with a median patient age of 20.7 (range, 12.8-28) years.

Results: Median age-at-onset (P = 0.16) and Catterall classification (P = 0.29) were comparable. No differences could be found for the Stulberg classification (P = 0.83), functional parameters (Harris Hip score and Merle d'Aubigné and Postel), and leg-length differences. Career choices were similar for both patient groups, as well.

Conclusions: Given methodological issues, femoral varus derotation osteotomy did not show apparent better results than the conservative containment regime in Catterall 3 and 4 patients with a median age-at-onset around 4.8 years. This result is fairly similar to recent literature suggesting a conservative approach in most severely affected patients with a young age-at-onset. However, based on unacceptable socioeconomic issues, the conservative regime evaluated in the present study cannot be justified, nowadays.