| Physical health problems encountered during | | | | bone’s neck. Because of this the hip joint becomes |
| adolescence can affect the development of the body, | | | | stiff and painful. Slipped capital femoral epiphysis is the |
| if not treated. There are few anatomic regions, such | | | | most common disorder of the hip which can happen in |
| as spine, knee and ankle, in adolescents which can get | | | | both the hips or one and it is more common in boys |
| orthopedic problems such as Osgood-Schlatter | | | | when compared to girls. Basically, adolescents of the |
| disease, and Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis. | | | | age ten to eighteen years and who are overweight |
| Osgood-Schlatter disease is caused due to injury or | | | | can be affected by this condition. The condition can |
| overuse of the knee which causes swelling and pain in | | | | arise over a time interval of few weeks or years. The |
| the area below the knee, above the shin bone. The | | | | condition, if resulted because of trauma and is also |
| patellar tendon and the soft tissues surrounding it gets | | | | called acute slip and if results after a period of time is |
| inflamed, because of the constant pulling of the area | | | | called chronic slip. Slipped capital femoral epiphysis is |
| where the tendon joins the below knee. Usually, | | | | caused because of medications, radiation treatment, |
| adolescents who participate in sports actively and are | | | | thyroid problems, and chemotherapy. |
| athletic, such as football, basketball, soccer, ballet and | | | | There are three degrees of intensity of slipped capital |
| gymnastics, tend to get the Osgood-Schlatter disease. | | | | femoral epiphysis, mild, moderate and severe. In mild |
| Boys of age eleven to fifteen and girls of age eight to | | | | slipped capital femoral epiphysis, only one third of |
| thirteen are at greater risk. The reason why | | | | femoral head slips from the thigh bone. In moderate, |
| adolescents get this problem is that their bones grow | | | | one third to half slips and in severe, more than half of |
| faster when compared to the tendons and muscles in | | | | the femoral head slips. The symptoms of this condition |
| this age and because of this the muscles and tendons | | | | are pain in hip which increases upon movement, pain in |
| stretch and become tight. | | | | thigh, knee & groin and limpness in the leg. When an |
| The symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease are | | | | adolescent walks there will be a clicking sound in the |
| swelling of knee, tenderness below knee area and | | | | hip and his/her legs will be turned outwards. |
| limping. The doctor will check the medical history of the | | | | Apart from studying the medical history of the patient, |
| patient and will conduct physical examination and | | | | the doctor will recommend diagnostic procedures such |
| diagnostic procedures such as taking an X-ray. The | | | | as bone scans, X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging |
| physician will decide on the treatment to be done by | | | | and blood test. The bone scans will determine the |
| studying the overall health, age, medical history, | | | | arthritic changes and degenerative changes in the |
| tolerance for certain medications and extent of the | | | | joints, which helps to detect tumors & bone diseases |
| disease. Treatment will include medications, rest, | | | | and the cause of pain and inflammation. The X-ray will |
| compression, elevation, neoprene knee sleeve and | | | | give the inside picture of the bones, tissues and organs. |
| physical therapy. The main aim will be to control and | | | | The magnetic resonance imaging provide detailed |
| limit the knee pain by cutting down on the | | | | image of the structures within the body with the help |
| adolescent’s physical activities. Usually the | | | | of large magnets. It is best if slipped capital femoral |
| Osgood-Schlatter disease gets healed over a period | | | | epiphysis is determined in the early stages, so that the |
| of time and in very rare cases is a surgery required. | | | | femur bone’s head doesn’t slip off any further. |
| Slipped capital femoral epiphysis is a problem which | | | | The adolescent may need to undergo a surgery along |
| affects the hip joint. The ball or head of the thigh bone, | | | | with physical therapy. |
| also known as femoral head slips from the thigh | | | | |