Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD) is a juvenile hip disorder associated with residual femoral head deformity, cartilage degeneration and a high risk of early onset hip osteoarthritis. Assessing management of LCPD in the healed phase requires an understanding of when and where hip cartilage damage happens. While it has been shown that cartilage is degenerated in healed LCPD hips in adults, it is not clear when this degeneration begins. Our research question was: Are the MR markers of cartilage degeneration T_1ρ and T₂ increased in healed LCPD hips in adolescents? Twelve adolescents [10–17 years old (mean 14); 3 female 9 male] with healed LCPD (Stulberg 2–5; 8 unilateral and 4 bilateral) and 15 age- and sex-matched controls were imaged in a 3T MRI using a T_1ρ and a T₂ sequence. We applied a mixed-effects model adjusted for age and nested by subject to determine the effect of Stulberg grade on overall and regional mean T_1ρ and T₂ values. T_1ρ was significantly higher overall and in the medial region of Stulberg ≥3 hips, and in the medial region of Stulberg 2 hips than in the control group. T₂ was significantly higher in the medial region of Stulberg ≥3 hips than in the control group. Our results suggest that cartilage damage in LCPD has begun by adolescence and that T_1ρ can detect early changes in cartilage associated with LCPD.

Legg-Calvé-Perthes 病 (LCPD) 是一种与残余股骨头畸形、软骨退化和早发性髋关节骨关节炎的高风险相关的青少年髋关节疾病。在愈合阶段评估 LCPD 的管理需要了解髋关节软骨损伤发生的时间和地点。虽然已经显示成人 LCPD 髋关节的软骨退化，但这种退化何时开始尚不清楚。我们的研究问题是：青少年 LCPD 髋关节愈合后软骨退变 T _1ρ和 T _{2的 MR 标志物是否增加？}12 名青少年 [10-17 岁（平均 14 岁）；3 名女性 9 名男性] 患有治愈的 LCPD（Stulberg 2-5；8 名单侧和 4 名双侧）和 15 名年龄和性别匹配的对照使用 T _{1ρ在 3T MRI 中成像}和一个 T ₂序列。我们应用了一个根据年龄调整并按受试者嵌套的混合效应模型，以确定 Stulberg 等级对整体和区域平均 T _1ρ和 T ₂值的影响。T _1ρ总体上显着高于对照组，在 Stulberg ≥3 髋的内侧区域和 Stulberg 2 髋的内侧区域显着高于对照组。Stulberg≥3髋的内侧区域的T ₂显着高于对照组。我们的研究结果表明，LCPD 中的软骨损伤从青春期开始，T _1ρ可以检测与 LCPD 相关的软骨的早期变化。