What is coxarthrosis? I’ve been reading on-line about SCFE (which our son has been diagnosed with). I saw several reports that he could get coxarthrosis later.

Coxa is the latin word for hip. Arthrosis is another medical term for osteoarthritis. Simply put, coxarthrosis means hip arthritis.

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a condition that affects the hip most often in teenagers between the ages of 12 and 16. In this condition, the growth center of the hip (the capital femoral epiphysis) actually slips backwards on the top of the femur (the thighbone). If untreated, this can lead to serious problems in the hip joint later in life.

Even with treatment, there can be a certain amount of hip deformity that is not corrected. This residual deformity is often seen on X-ray as an increased angle where the femoral head and shaft meet. The greater the angle, the more likely that problems can develop.

In a small number of patients, pain, tenderness, limping, and leg length difference are observed years later. But studies show that although not perfect, the results are much better than if no treatment was done.