The Irritable Hip Syndrome in Children: A Long-Term Follow-up

Abstract

This paper gives the results of a long-term follow-up study of 101 children with “Irritable Hips” who were admitted to the Mater Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, between 1962 and 1972. The case notes and the laboratory data from their original presentation have been reviewed and all the children were recalled for clinical and radiological examination. Clinical abnormalities were found on eighteen occasions but none could be proved to be related to the child's episode of transient synovitis. Radiological changes were found on four occasions. Two of these were related to the disease in question, but two were probably coincidental findings. One case of Perthes' disease was found and one case of coxa magna, and these long-term complications are more likely to be found in patients with prolonged symptoms or radiological abnormalities on admission.