Symptoms of Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease
Children with Perthes Disease often have a slight limp. Other symptoms include:
- Pain in the knee, thigh or groin
- Stiffness in the hip
- Limited range of motion in the hip
- Upper thigh muscles get smaller
- Legs appear to be different lengths
Legg-Calvé-Perthes Disease Diagnosis
Doctors look for a slight limp in your child’s walk, a common sign of Perthes disease. They also ask questions about any pain your child might be feeling. Then they examine your child.
The doctor will gently move your child’s legs, comparing the movement on the sore side with the movement on the other side.
Doctors may take X-rays to make sure Perthes disease is the problem. If the X-rays look normal, they may ask for a bone scan or an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) scan to get more information.