Legg-Calve Bone Disease
Legg-Calve Bone disease affects the hip joint of a human being. It is most commonly found in young boys under the age of ten. I was just entering kindergarten when I was diagnosed with it.
The disease is temporary and can be fixed. What happens is that the femoral head of the bone, basically the ball joint that joins with the hip, starts to die. Blood flow to the bone cells in the head is cut off and causes the head of the joint to become painful. Bone cells began to die and the ball joint begins to lose its round shape. The body removes the dead bone cells and begins to grow new ones, it at this time when most of the pain and discomfort is noticed.
Most diagnoses come after the patient usually a young boy complains of hip pain or discomfort. To diagnose the disease doctors need to take x-rays, MRIs, bone scans and even blood tests. I cannot remember all the tests that were run on me, however I do remember spending a day a Texas Childrens Hospital where I imagine all these tests were run. The cause of the disease is still unknown, although the doctor did tell me that lots of jumping and landing at certain heights could have caused my condition. I did have a tree house when I was younger and I did jump out of it quite often.
Once diagnosed there are several treatment options depending on severity of the condition. They include rest, limits on physical activity, bed rest, brace or casting, surgery and even wheel chair. I was offered 18 months in a leg brace or 6 months in a body cast in order to treat my condition, I chose to wear the leg brace. The leg brace I was fitted with was to be worn over clothes. It had a velcro belt that went round the waist and two hard plastic slots that went over the thigh. A metal bar connected the thigh casings. The brace prevented me to walk in a normal motion, and forced me to waddle. The purpose of the brace was to keep the joint aligned so the new cells formed correctly.
Altough Legg-Calve Bone Disease is a very treatable condition that is diagnosed and treated early in life, it can cause problems as an adult. It can lead to hip problems later and life and arthritis. The verdict is still out on how my condition will affect me as an adult, but lets just hope for the best
The disease is temporary and can be fixed. What happens is that the femoral head of the bone, basically the ball joint that joins with the hip, starts to die. Blood flow to the bone cells in the head is cut off and causes the head of the joint to become painful. Bone cells began to die and the ball joint begins to lose its round shape. The body removes the dead bone cells and begins to grow new ones, it at this time when most of the pain and discomfort is noticed.
Most diagnoses come after the patient usually a young boy complains of hip pain or discomfort. To diagnose the disease doctors need to take x-rays, MRIs, bone scans and even blood tests. I cannot remember all the tests that were run on me, however I do remember spending a day a Texas Childrens Hospital where I imagine all these tests were run. The cause of the disease is still unknown, although the doctor did tell me that lots of jumping and landing at certain heights could have caused my condition. I did have a tree house when I was younger and I did jump out of it quite often.
Once diagnosed there are several treatment options depending on severity of the condition. They include rest, limits on physical activity, bed rest, brace or casting, surgery and even wheel chair. I was offered 18 months in a leg brace or 6 months in a body cast in order to treat my condition, I chose to wear the leg brace. The leg brace I was fitted with was to be worn over clothes. It had a velcro belt that went round the waist and two hard plastic slots that went over the thigh. A metal bar connected the thigh casings. The brace prevented me to walk in a normal motion, and forced me to waddle. The purpose of the brace was to keep the joint aligned so the new cells formed correctly.
Altough Legg-Calve Bone Disease is a very treatable condition that is diagnosed and treated early in life, it can cause problems as an adult. It can lead to hip problems later and life and arthritis. The verdict is still out on how my condition will affect me as an adult, but lets just hope for the best
posted by Nick Bacica at 3:25 PM
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