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Preparing for your appointment
By Mayo Clinic staffMake an appointment with your child's doctor if your child develops signs or symptoms common to Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. After an initial evaluation, your child may be referred to a pediatric orthopedist, a doctor who specializes in bone and muscle (musculoskeletal) problems in children.
Here's some information to help you get ready for your appointment, and what to expect from your doctor.
Information to gather in advance
- List your child's signs and symptoms, and for how long your child has had them.
- Write down your child's key medical information, including any other health problems and the names of any medications your child is taking.
- List any possible sources of trauma to your child's hip, such as an accident or sports injury.
- Take a family member or friend along, if possible. Someone who accompanies you may remember something that you missed or forgot.
- Write down questions to ask your doctor. Creating your list of questions in advance can help you make the most of your time with your doctor.
Below are some basic questions to ask your doctor about Legg-Calve-Perthes disease. If any additional questions occur to you during your visit, don't hesitate to ask.
- Does my child have Legg-Calve-Perthes disease?
- How severe is my child's condition?
- What treatment approach do you recommend?
- If the first treatment isn't effective, what will you recommend next?
- How often should my child be seen for follow-up exams?
- What is the long-term outlook in my child's case?
- Does my child need to follow any activity restrictions? For how long?
- What can I do to help ease my child's symptoms?
- Can you recommend a local support group?
- Can you recommend educational Web sites, pamphlets or books?
What to expect from your doctor
Your doctor is likely to ask you and your child a number of questions. Being ready to answer them may reserve time to go over any points you want to talk about in-depth. Your doctor may ask:
- What are your child's symptoms?
- When did you first notice these symptoms?
- Do your child's symptoms seem to come and go?
- Have your child's symptoms become worse over time?
- Is your child active?
- Has your child experienced an accident or injury that might have caused hip damage?
- If your child's symptoms include pain, where is the pain located?
- Does activity make your child's symptoms worse?
- Does resting ease your child's discomfort?
- Has your child been diagnosed with any other medical conditions?
- Is your child taking any medications?
- What else concerns you?
What you can do in the meantime
In the time leading up to your appointment, your child's symptoms may improve with short periods of rest and over-the-counter pain medications, such as ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, others). Avoid using aspirin in children.
- Perthes disease. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00070&return_link=0. Accessed Jan. 22, 1010.
- Legg-Calve'-Perthes disease. National Osteonecrosis Foundation. http://www.nonf.org/perthesbrochure/perthes-brochure.htm. Accessed Jan. 22, 2010.
- Hosalkar HS, et al. The hip. In: Kliegman RM, et al. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/179341369-5/942328489/1608/1578.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2450-7..50679-4--cesec26_12453. Accessed Jan. 22, 1010.
- Mercier LR. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. St. Louis, Mo.: Mosby; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/179341369-5/942328489/2088/368.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05609-0..00021-6--sc0040_7585. Accessed Jan. 22, 2010.
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