Legge-Calve-Perthes (LCP)

Description & Cause
Legge-Calve-Perthes disease is inflammation of the femoral head, possibly due to loss of blood supply. The femoral head is the ball on the end of the thighbone that fits into the socket of the hip joint. This disease may eventually lead to destruction of the femoral head.

As a result of the insufficient blood supply the head of the femur begins to die and disintegrate. The disintegration can be seen, through x-rays as a flattening of the femoral tip.

The picture shows an x-ray of a normal canine hip.


Symptoms/Clinical Signs
Most of the time the clinical signs of this disease occur in 4 to 11 month old dogs and usually consist of lameness of one leg only. Pain may be mild to very severe. Some dogs have mild forms of this condition and do not require medical care. In other dogs, the condition cause sufficient pain and deformity of the hip joint to require surgical intervention. Atrophy of the muscles of the affected leg is not uncommon. If this is severe it can slow the recovery period considerably and may make medical therapy less likely to work.


Diagnosis
The disorder can usually be confirmed with X-rays.


Treatment & Prognosis
Treatment of this condition will also vary dependent upon severity. In mild cases, enforced rest may be adequate. Resting can allow the body to generate new bone cells replacing the damaged ones. In more advanced cases surgery may be needed.

The long-term prognosis of this condition is dependent upon the extent of the damage. It is critical that the dog is treated by a veterinarian as early as possible in the progress of this disorder.


Inheritance
Legg-Pethes is considered a hereditary disease, though the exact mode of inheritance is not agreed upon.

Test matings have not yealded conclusive results, but one suspects a simple autosomal mode of inheritance with inclomplete penetration (R.Robinson, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease in dogs.Genetic aetiologi.)


Selected resources
Teri Dickerson DVM; Legg-Perthe's Disease
Encyclopedia of Canine Veterinary Medical Information; Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease
Gambardella; Legg-Calve'-Perthes Disease in Dogs
R. Robinson, Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease in dogs.Genetic aetiologi.