A 13-year-old boy with limited hip range of motion and out-of-place femoral head is likely diagnosed with which condition?

• A. Legg Calve Perthes disease
• B. Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis
• C. Posterior hip dislocation
• D. Developmental dysplasia of the hip

Answer: (B)

The condition described in the scenario aligns with Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis (SCFE). This is a common hip disorder in adolescents where the femoral head has slipped off the neck of the femur at the growth plate. Characteristically, SCFE presents with limited hip range of motion, particularly internal rotation, and often involves an out-of-place femoral head as the condition progresses.

In SCFE, the displacement can result in a noticeable deformity or misalignment of the hip, which fits the description provided. The age of the patient is also consistent with this diagnosis, as SCFE typically occurs in prepubescent to early adolescent boys around the ages of 10 to 16, more frequently in boys than girls.

Understanding this condition is essential because early identification and surgical intervention can prevent complications such as avascular necrosis of the femoral head and chronic hip pain. The other conditions mentioned may also present with hip symptoms, but they have distinctive characteristics that differentiate them from SCFE.