The bone & joint journal
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The bone & joint journal · Apr 2016
Multicenter StudyThe outcome and prognostic factors in children with bilateral Perthes' disease: a prospective study of 40 children with follow-up over five years.
The aims of this study were to describe the course of non-operatively managed, bilateral Perthes' disease, and to determine specific prognostic factors for the radiographic and clinical outcome. ⋯ These results imply that we need to distinguish between children with concurrent onset and those with sequential onset of bilateral Perthes' disease, as the outcomes may be different. This has not been previously described. Children with concurrent onset of bilateral disease had a similar outcome to our previous series of those with unilateral disease, whereas children with sequential onset of bilateral disease had a worse prognosis. The increased risk of developing Perthes' disease in the contralateral hip in those with unilateral disease is important information for the child and parents.