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Hip Problems for Teens

Hip problems don't just affect senior citizens. Some conditions that affect the hip are more likely to occur in children and teenagers, and can cause pain when the young person engages in activities like vigorous exercise or even walking. If a teenager suspects he has a hip problem, he should visit a doctor for examination and treatment.

  1. Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

    • According to Children's Hospital Boston, a slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) occurs when the femoral head, which is the ball of the thigh bone, slips off the top of the thigh bone. SCFE usually affects teenagers ages 11 to 15, and it tends to affect boys more often than girls. In half of the cases, SCFE affects both hips. While the cause of SCFE is still unknown, teenagers who develop it are often obese, on medication such as steroids, undergoing radiation treatment or chemotherapy, have thyroid problems or suffer from kidney disease.

    Hip Dysplasia

    • Hip dysplasia involves an abnormal shape of the bones in the hip joint and occurs in about four out of 1,000 people. Some dysplastic hip conditions include shallow hip sockets and femoral heads with the wrong contour. Hip dysplasia affects more girls than boys, with a 5-to-1 female-to-male ratio in the United States. A certain type of hip dysplasia known as acetabular dysplasia, in which the hip socket is too flat, usually affects patients in their late teens to early 30s.

    Perthes Disease

    • Perthes disease, a rare condition, impairs blood flow to the growth plate at the top of the thigh bone and gradually breaks down bone in the hip joint. When blood flow becomes normal again, the bone changes shape and becomes hard, which could result in the bones not fitting together as they should. Perthes disease occurs in approximately six out of every 1,000 children, usually in boys ages 2 to 15. It can cause hip pain, knee pain and a limp. If too much time passes before diagnosis and treatment, Perthes disease can cause the youth's affected leg to become thinner and shorter than the healthy one.

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