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Perthes' Disease |
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Anonymous Author (October 2008) |
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Re: Perthes' Disease
Asked by esme597
Question:
Hi all I am a newbie to this site. My son (6) was diagnosed with having Perthes' Disease 2 years ago. It is a disease in the ball and cup joint of the hip. I
just wanted to know if any other members have been through this same disease and would like to share their experiences with me. I think we have been very lucky so far and had a mild form of it.
My Advice:
Hi
I was born with Perthes' disease 45 years ago.It wasn't detected at birth (as most severe cases are now).It was picked up because I had a very wise mother who when I began to walk noticed that my gait was unusual ,I had a limp and would fall to the left side.I was fortunate to be seem by a very skilled orthopeadic surgeon ,I recieved treatment for a severe form of Perthes' disease until I was 4 and remained under his care with yearly checkups until I was 15.I led a very full and active life running ,climbing ,jumpingand playing many sports until my mid 20's when I began to limp again.Over a 10 year period the hip became more fixed and rotated ,I began to experience increasing pain in the hip and eventually had minimal movement in it.I fell pregnant adding more weight to the hip which meant simple tasks like sitting on a toilet was like an olympic sport .When my daughter was 19 months old,I had a total hip replacement.I now have a slight limp but have no pain and have regained movement.
You said your son had a mild form of it which is really good and he may not have any major problems however my advice to you woud be to make sure your son is under a skilled orthopeadic specialist who can monitor his progress.Treatment options have changed a great deal over the past 45 years and while Perthes's disease is not common we know more about it now.The specialist will advise you about activities your son can do that won't cause any stress on his hip,swimming is highly recommended as there is no strain or impact on the joint and it helps keep movement in the joint .Being over weight or obese greatly affects the hip joint so it is important to make sure you son remains within his correct weight range.(that was my downfall) and has a healthy diet.
Most people with Perthes disease eventually require a hip replacement because the joint becomes fixed.If your son does require a hip replacement later in life reassure him that it will make his life so much better.Not all have it done at 35.Mine was replaced at a young age due to the severity of the disease in my hip and the limitations it put on my activites of daily living.But it's not all doom and gloom I regained so much by having it done and can once again lead an active life.
I hope this helps and remember this is my experience,there may be other Minti's out there with a very different story.
If your son wants to ask any questions I'd be happy to chat to him after all us Perthes' kids have to stick together.
