PROPORTION OF OBESITY IN STABLE SCFE IS HIGHER THAN IN UNSTABLE SCFE: A MULTICENTRE, INTERNATIONAL PROSPECTIVE REGISTRY STUDY

Incidence, and presentation of slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) varies across geographic regions and ethnic groups, and may be influenced by certain risk factors. The purpose of this study was to examine variability in baseline presentation of patients presenting with stable and unstable SCFE at centres contributing to a multicentre international registry. Data from a prospective multicentre international SCFE registry was analyzed. Patients receiving a confirmed diagnosis of SCFE under 18 years of age without underlying conditions such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida or osteogenesis imperfecta were eligible for inclusion. A total of 15 centres across four countries contributed patients for analysis. Patient demographics, risk factors, hip affected, slip stability and initial surgical procedure were compared across all centres. In total, 292 patients were included (56.8% male). Average patient age at presentation was 12.2 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 12.0,12.5]), with mean age ranging across centres from 11.9 to 13.2 years. Median reported duration of symptoms prior to diagnosis was 5 weeks (range 1–250 weeks). Unilateral left SCFE was most common (50.0%, 146/292), followed by unilateral right (34.9%, 102/292) and bilateral (15.0%, 44/292), totalling 336 affected hips. The majority of slips were stable (65.6%, 244/332, stability not reported in 4 hips). Obesity was the most commonly seen risk factor, present in 38.4% (112/292) of cases. Significantly fewer (p=0.008) patients with unstable SCFE were obese (25/88, 28.4%) than those with stable SCFE (109/244, 44.7%). In this large multicenter cohort, obesity was present in only 40% of patients with SCFE. Notably, patients with stable slips were more likely to be obese than patients with unstable slips.