Shape of growth plate of proximal femur in children and its significance in the aetiology of slipped capital femoral epiphysis

PURPOSE: The main objective of the study was to present the influence of the morphological shape of the proximal femoral growth plate in children as one of the risk factors for the incidence of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) in adolescents. METHODS: This research is based on the X-ray, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data obtained for 100 children three to 13 years old, all treated at the Children’s Orthopaedic Clinic and Rehabilitation Department and Department of Radiology Medical University of Lublin between 2005 and 2009. We took into account 83 children with healthy hip joints and 17 children with SCFE. We also performed morphological analysis of the shape of the proximal femoral growth plate together with X-ray, CT and MRI examinations of the proximal ends of cadaver femurs for two children aged six and 13. RESULTS: In the final findings we present an analysis of the shape of the proximal femoral growth plate in children between the third and 13th years of life and consider a correlation between the shape of the proximal femoral growth plate and its influence on the incidence of SCFE in adolescents. CONCLUSIONS: The change of shape of the proximal femoral growth plate from pleated to more spherical is one of the risk factors for the incidence of SCFE in children ten years old and older.