Description
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is a bone disorder that affects the hips. Usually, only one hip is involved, but in about 10 percent of cases, both hips are affected. Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease begins in childhood, typically between ages 4 and 8, and affects boys more frequently than girls.
In this condition, the upper end of the thigh bone, known as the femoral head, breaks down. As a result, the femoral head is no longer round and does not move easily in the hip socket, which leads to hip pain, limping, and restricted leg movement. The bone eventually begins to heal itself through a normal process called bone remodeling, by which old bone is removed and new bone is created to replace it. This cycle of breakdown and healing can recur multiple times. Affected individuals are often shorter than their peers due to the bone abnormalities. Many people with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease go on to develop a painful joint disorder called osteoarthritis in the hips at an early age.
Frequency
The incidence of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease varies by population. The condition is most common in white populations, in which it affects an estimated 1 to 3 in 20,000 children under age 15.
Causes
Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is usually not caused by genetic factors. The cause in these cases is unknown. In a small percentage of cases, mutations in the COL2A1 gene cause the bone abnormalities characteristic of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease. The COL2A1 gene provides instructions for making a protein that forms type II collagen. This type of collagen is found mostly in cartilage, a tough but flexible tissue that makes up much of the skeleton during early development. Most cartilage is later converted to bone, except for the cartilage that continues to cover and protect the ends of bones and is present in the nose and external ears. Type II collagen is essential for the normal development of bones and other connective tissues that form the body's supportive framework.
COL2A1 gene mutations involved in Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease lead to production of an altered protein; collagen that contains this protein may be less stable than normal. Researchers speculate that the breakdown of bone characteristic of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease is caused by impaired blood flow to the femoral head, which leads to death of the bone tissue (osteonecrosis); however it is unclear how abnormal type II collagen is involved in this process or why the hips are specifically affected.
Inheritance
When associated with COL2A1 gene mutations, the condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered COL2A1 gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder.
Most COL2A1-associated cases result from new mutations in the gene and occur in people with no history of the disorder in their family. These cases are referred to as sporadic. In other cases, the condition is passed through families. In these cases, referred to as familial, an affected person inherits the mutation from one affected parent.
Other Names for This Condition
- Calve-Perthes disease
- Coxa plana
- LCPD
- Perthes disease
Additional Information & Resources
Genetic Testing Information
Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center
Patient Support and Advocacy Resources
Clinical Trials
Catalog of Genes and Diseases from OMIM
Scientific Articles on PubMed
References
- Chaudhry S, Phillips D, Feldman D. Legg-Calve-Perthes disease: an overview with recent literature. Bull Hosp Jt Dis (2013). 2014;72(1):18-27. Citation on PubMed
- Kannu P, Irving M, Aftimos S, Savarirayan R. Two novel COL2A1 mutations associated with a Legg-Calve-Perthes disease-like presentation. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2011 Jun;469(6):1785-90. doi: 10.1007/s11999-011-1850-x. Epub 2011 Mar 26. Citation on PubMed or Free article on PubMed Central
- Miyamoto Y, Matsuda T, Kitoh H, Haga N, Ohashi H, Nishimura G, Ikegawa S. A recurrent mutation in type II collagen gene causes Legg-Calve-Perthes disease in a Japanese family. Hum Genet. 2007 Jun;121(5):625-9. doi: 10.1007/s00439-007-0354-y. Epub 2007 Mar 30. Citation on PubMed
- Park KW, Rejuso CA, Cho WT, Song HR. Timing of premature physeal closure in Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease. Int Orthop. 2014 Oct;38(10):2137-42. doi: 10.1007/s00264-014-2394-y. Epub 2014 Jun 12. Citation on PubMed
- Su P, Li R, Liu S, Zhou Y, Wang X, Patil N, Mow CS, Mason JC, Huang D, Wang Y. Age at onset-dependent presentations of premature hip osteoarthritis, avascular necrosis of the femoral head, or Legg-Calve-Perthes disease in a single family, consequent upon a p.Gly1170Ser mutation of COL2A1. Arthritis Rheum. 2008 Jun;58(6):1701-6. doi: 10.1002/art.23491. Citation on PubMed
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