The long-term results of brace treatment in perthes disease [Perthes hastaliǧinda cihaz tedavisinin uzun dönem sonuçlari]

Objectives: we evaluated the long-term radiological outcomes of the patients with perthes disease who were conservatively treated with brace. patients and methods: thirty-three hips of 27 skeletally mature patients (21 males,6 females; mean age 25.2±3.4 years; range 20 to 32 years) treated with modified thomas splint were included in this study. the results were evaluated according to the stulberg classification. results: the mean age of the patients was 6.3±2.2 (range 3-12) years at the onset of the disease and the mean follow-up was 18.6±3.2 (range 7.2-24.1) years. according to onset of the disease,good results were obtained for the patients who were less than six-years-old as 77.7%,between 6-9 years old as 84.2%,after nine years old as 40%. however,100% of the herring group a hips,79.2% of the group b hips and 50% of the group c hips were healed with stulberg class i or ii results. conclusion: we obtained satisfactory results after conservative treatment with thomas splint in patients who were between 6-9 years old at onset of the disease with herring group b involvement. it is hard to say whether the good results were stemmed from having good prognosis of these patients,or stemmed from positive effect of using brace on treatment.