Poor prognosis in atypical Perthes' disease. Radiographic analysis of 19 hips after 35 years.

We analyzed clinical and radiographic long-term results in 96 patients (106 hips) with Perthes' disease 35 years after nonoperative treatment. 19 hips in 17 patients had early radiographic signs indicating atypically severe course of the disease and poor prognosis. None of them was radiographically good at skeletal maturity; 2 cases were fair and 17 poor. At the final follow-up 12 hips had radiographic arthrosis.