Legg Calve Perthes disease: a retrospective study of pelvic radiographic parameters

Abstract

Purpose Legg Calve Perthes disease (LCPD) is a paediatric hip disorder caused by ischemia of the femoral epiphysis, sometimes causing femoral head deformity. This study aims to determine if previously validated pelvic obliquity in skeletally immature patients through radiographic parameters for assessing acetabular retroversion in developmental dysplasia of the hip are applicable to patients with LCPD and its prognostic value. Methods A retrospective observational study of patients with Legg Calve Perthes disease was carried out, in which 4 pelvic parameters were studied: Ilioischial Angle, Obturator Index, Sharp’s Angle and Acetabular Depth-Width Ratio (ADR), analysing the differences between the healthy and affected hips. and subsequently, it is assessed whether the differences in these parameters may have a prognostic value in the outcome of the disease. Results Statistically significant differences have been obtained in the ilioischial angle, obturator index and ADR, between the affected and healthy hip. But regarding its value in the prognosis of the disease, only the Acetabular Depth Width Ratio has shown to have a predictive value of the outcome of the disease. Conclusions The present study showed that the pelvic parameters studied differ between the healthy and the diseased hip, but only one of them, the ADR, seems to have significance on the evolution and prognosis of the disease. More studies with a larger sample size are necessary, but we believe that studies on pelvic obliquity may open a new line of research in Legg Calve Perthes disease.