Our 14-year-old son is a promising gymnast. Last year we found out he has a hip problem called SCFE. He had surgery to pin the hip together. Now he’s having trouble flexing and abducting his hip. It’s affecting his ability to compete. Can anything be done about this?

SCFE stands for slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Before a child has completed growing, the tops of the bones are in sections to allow the bones to get longer.

The growth area is called the growth plate or the epiphysis. At the top of the femur (thigh bone), the epiphysis can actually slip backwards. This condition is called SCFE. Standard treatment for this problem is to hold the epiphysis in place with a screw until growth is complete.

In moderate-to-severe cases, the screw placement can cause problems. When the hip is flexed or abducted (moved away from the body), the head of the screw bumps up against the rim of the acetabulum (hip socket). This is called screw head impingement.

Limited, painful hip motion and altered gait (walking) pattern occur with screw impingement. The solution may be to remove the screw (if growth is complete) or to change the position of the screw.

Your next step is to make a follow-up appointment with the surgeon. An X-ray will show the position of the screw and help identify the exact problem. The solution will depend on what’s causing the symptoms. Screw head impingement is a possibility but there may be other underlying causes of these symptoms.