The Irritable hip

Abstract

Over a 4-year period, 192 patients with a typical transient synovitis syndrome underwent radionuclide scintigraphy shortly after presentation. Three different patterns were found suggesting that all the cases may not be of the same etiology. Fifteen patients had evidence of ischemia of the femoral head, but only 4 patients went on to develop the typical radiographic features of Perthes' disease. The other 11 patients are thought to represent a minor, radiographically silent form of Perthes' disease.