Epidemiology

It is a rare condition and is one of the most commonly missed diagnoses in children (1)

• general practitioners and therapist can expect to see around 1-2 slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) patients in their professional lifetime (2)
• the average age at diagnosis is 13.5 years for boys and 12.0 years for girls (1)
• occurs between 1 and 7 per 100,000 children (2)
• more common in
  • obese children
  • boys than in girls
  • blacks and Pacific Islanders (may be due to increased body weight in these populations) (1)
• bilateral in 18 - 50% (1)

A seasonal variation is seen in the northern United States, with increased rates in late summer and fall in patients who reside north of 40 degrees latitude. Increased physical activity in the summer or impaired vitamin D synthesis is suspected to be the cause for this (1)

Reference:

• (1) Peck D. Slipped capital femoral epiphysis: diagnosis and management. Am Fam Physician. 2010;82(3):258-62.
• (2) Uglow MG, Clarke NM. The management of slipped capital femoral epiphysis. J Bone Joint Surg Br. 2004 Jul;86(5):631-5.