National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Legg-Calve-Perthes disease


Other Names:
Perthes disease; Legg-Calve-Perthes syndrome; LCPD; Perthes disease; Legg-Calve-Perthes syndrome; LCPD; Osteochondritis deformans; Coxa plana See More
Categories:
This disease is grouped under:
Osteochondrosis
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD) occurs when blood supply to the ball of the thighbone in the hip (femoral head) is disrupted. Without an adequate blood supply, the bone cells die.[1] LCPD usually occurs in children between the ages of 4 and 10.[2] Early symptoms may include limping; pain in the hip, thigh or knee; and reduced range of hip motion.[3] Later in the disease course, there may be leg length discrepancy (one leg longer than the other) and wasting of the muscles around the hip. The condition can last for several years before new bone formation (re-ossification) and eventual healing occurs.[3] Some people with LCPD go on to develop degenerative arthritis in adulthood.[2][4]

The underlying cause of LCPD is often not known. Sometimes it results from a slipped capital femoral epiphysis, trauma, steroid use, sickle-cell crisis, toxic synovitis, or congenital hip dysplasia.[2] It usually is not caused by genetic factors, but a few familial cases with autosomal dominant inheritance have been reported. In a small percentage of cases, mutations in the COL2A1 gene were found to be responsible.[5]

Treatment aims to keep the thigh bone inside the hip socket. Treatment options may include rest or medication for pain; physical therapy; using a brace; or surgery.[3][4]
Last updated: 7/28/2016

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of the dentition
Abnormal dentition
Abnormal teeth
Dental abnormality
[ more ] 		0000164
Arthralgia
Joint pain
0002829
Avascular necrosis
Death of bone due to decreased blood supply
0010885
Cartilage destruction 0100773
Delayed skeletal maturation
Delayed bone maturation
Delayed skeletal development
[ more ] 		0002750
Joint dislocation
Joint dislocations
Recurrent joint dislocations
[ more ] 		0001373
Short stature
Decreased body height
Small stature
[ more ] 		0004322
Skeletal muscle atrophy
Muscle degeneration
Muscle wasting
[ more ] 		0003202
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Avascular necrosis of the capital femoral epiphysis 0005743
Multifactorial inheritance 0001426
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Last updated: 7/1/2020
Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD) is usually not caused by genetic factors (thus is usually not inherited), but there are some cases where LCPD affects more than one family member.  In a small percentage of these familial cases, changes or mutations in the COL2A1 gene have been found to cause LCPD.  When mutations in COL2A1 gene are the cause of LCPD, the disease is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.[5][6][7] In some cases, it appears that genetic and environmental factors interact to increase a person's chance to develop LCPD.[3][7]
Last updated: 9/13/2016

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.
The prognosis for people with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (LCPD) depends on the extent and severity of bone involvement, and residual deformity.[2][3] Overall, the prognosis for recovery and sports participation after treatment is very good for most people.[2] Generally, a younger age at diagnosis is associated with a better outcome.[3]

For people who are younger than age 5 when LCPD develops, the incidence of degenerative arthritis later in life is reportedly very low.[2] The more deformed the femoral head is during healing, the greater the risk of osteoarthritis of the hip later in life.[3] The risk is also higher for those with metaphyseal defects (where the shaft of the bone flares out); and for those who develop LCPD late in childhood (at age 10 or older). Nearly 100% of people with complex involvement of the femoral head and residual deformity will develop degenerative arthritis.[2] Total hip replacement in early adulthood may be needed in some cases.[3]

Last updated: 7/28/2016

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Differential diagnoses include Meyers dysplasia, multiple epiphyseal dysplasia and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia (see these terms).
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.
  • Orphanet lists European clinical trials, research studies, and patient registries enrolling people with this condition. 

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
  • The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons has an information page on Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. Click on the link above to view this resource page.
  • The National Osteonecrosis Foundation has an information page on Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Click on the link above to view this information resource.
  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library provides information on this condition for patients and caregivers. 
  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • MeSH® (Medical Subject Headings) is a terminology tool used by the National Library of Medicine. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know. Submit a new question

  • I had Perthes disease as a child (5 yr old) but recovered and have lived a normal life. I am now 70 and am experiencing extreme weakness in my pelvis/hips. I have some arthritis in the hips and knees but the weakness seems much greater than would be caused by that. Could my present problem be related to my earlier problem as a child? See answer

  • Is Legg-Calve-Perthes disease an inherited condition? See answer


  1. Perthes Disease. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. May, 2015; http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00070.
  2. George D Harris. Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease. Medscape Reference. March 4, 2015; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1248267-overview.
  3. Ola Wiig. Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease. Orphanet. 2009; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=en&Expert=2380.
  4. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. MedlinePlus. July 10 2015; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001264.htm.
  5. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. Genetics Home Reference. September, 2014; https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/legg-calve-perthes-disease#genes.
  6. Al-Omran AK and Sadat-Ali M. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease in two generations of male family members: a case report. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong). August 2013; 21(2):258-61. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24014797.
  7. Kim Y-J. Legg Calve Perthes Disease. National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD). November 18 2015; https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/legg-calve-perthes-disease/.