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Classification of slipped capital femoral epiphysis

Authoring team

Traditionally slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) has been classified according to the duration of symptoms into acute, chronic and acute-on-chronic (1).
But more recently SCFE has been classified according to the ability to weight bear on the affected leg: (2)

  • stable -
    • patient is able to ambulate with or without the help of crutches
    • responsible for about 90 % of all slips
    • has a better prognosis when compared to unstable SCFE
  • unstable -
    • patient is unable to ambulate even with crutches
    • complications rate is higher than in stable SCFE (2)

This classification is the most widely accepted (3)

Reference:

  1. Loder RT. Slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Am Fam Physician. 1998;57(9):2135-42, 2148-50.
  2. Peck DM, Voss LM, Voss TT; Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis: Diagnosis and Management. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Jun 15;95(12):779-784.
  3. Loder RT, Aronsson DD, Dobbs MB, et al. Instructional course lecture: slipped capital femoral epiphysis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2000 Aug;82-A(8):1170-88.

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The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

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