The Epidemiology and Demographics of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

Abstract

The etiology of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is unknown with many insights coming from epidemiologic/demographic information. A systematic medical literature review regarding SCFE was performed. The incidence is 0.33/100,000 to 24.58/100,000 children 8 to 15 years of age. The relative racial frequency, relative to Caucasians at 1.0, is 5.6 for Polynesians, 3.9 for Blacks, and 2.5 for Hispanics. The average age is 12.0 years for boys and 11.2 years for girls. The physiologic age when SCFE occurs is less variable than the chronologic age. The average symptom duration is 4 to 5 months. Most children are obese: >50% are >95th percentile weight for age with average BMI is 25–30 kg/m2. The onset of SCFE is in the summer when north of 40°N. Bilaterality ranges from 18 to 50%. In children with bilateral involvement, 50–60% present with simultaneous SCFEs and those who present with a unilateral SCFE and subsequently develop a contralateral SCFE do so within 18 months. The age at presentation is younger for those who present with a unilateral SCFE and later develop a contralateral SCFE. The age-weight, age-height, and height test are useful to differentiate between an idiopathic and atypical SCFE.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in adults: case report and review of literature

“…However there are several reports of asymptomatic cases, as it was demonstrated in a study in 2072 healthy Norwegian young people (18-20 years old) that found 6.6% cases of silent radiological SCFE (6). The reported incidence is variable depending on the countries, oscillating between 0.2 and 24.5:100,000 children 8 to 15 years old (1, 3,5), but this number may underestimate the real incidence due to silent forms (7). SCFE is more frequent during the adolescent growth spur that happens to an average age of 13.5 years in boys and 12 years in girls.…”

“…SCFE is frequently bilateral, reaching 50% of cases in some series. In unilateral cases, the age of presentation is usually younger, left hip is affected twice as often than the right, and an increased risk of contralateral damage appears in the next 18 months (3,8). It is important to always check the contralateral hip as some series describe 40% prevalence of asymptomatic slips in this Reumatismo 1/2016 Reumatismo, 2016;68 (1): [40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47] case report N o n -c o m m e r c i a l u s e o n l y Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in adults: case report and review of literature CASE REPORT location (6).…”

Arthroscopic Subcapital Realignment in Chronic and Stable Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

“…7 Recent studies of the biomechanics of femoroacetabular impingement indicate that small anatomical deformities of the hip arising from SCFE can potentially cause permanent acetabular chondral damage. 4 Ganz et al 8 described the use of surgical dislocation of the hip when performing modified Dunn's osteotomy (subcapital realignment) in the treatment of unstable 9 and/or high-grade 3 SCFE.…”

Geometrical and mechanical factors that influence slipped capital femoral epiphysis

“…Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is traditionally defined as the displacement of the femoral head in respect to the femoral diaphysis [1][2][3]. However, the real displacement is carried out by the femoral neck and the shaft as the head remains in the acetabulum because of the ligamentum teres [2,[4][5][6].…”

“…The etiology of SCFE is unknown in most of the patients [1][2][3]7]. However, various risk factors have been reported to play a major role in abnormal increases in physeal solicitations or weakening of the growth plate in the presence of normal loading [1][2][3]8], resulting in the mechanical failure of the physis and the subsequent displacement of the femoral neck and shaft.…”