Zeitschrift für neuartige Physiotherapien

Abstrakt

Conservative Treatment for Patients with Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease:Seven Years of Follow-up

Guilherme Carlos Brech, Julia Maria D’Andrea Greve and Roberto Guarniero

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to clinically and radiographically evaluate possible effects from the proposed physiotherapy, in comparison with observation, among patients with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease over a seven-year follow-up.

Method: A prospective seven-year follow-up study was conducted among 17 patients with unilateral Legg-Calvé- Perthes disease, divided into two groups: Group A (observational) and Group B (physiotherapeutic). In order to evaluate the outcomes from the treatment protocols used, the following clinical and radiographic parameters were assessed.

Results: There were no significant differences between the mean scores for joint dysfunction, in group A (P = 0.082). In group B, the mean before treatment was greater than the mean after treatment (P=0.036) and greater than the mean seven years after treatment (P=0.028).

Conclusion: The results suggest that physiotherapeutic treatment for patients with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease was effective, in comparison with observation, even after seven years had elapsed since the intervention.