The Beginning

This is 4-year-old Judah's story. I, his sister, am writing this blog so we will have somewhere to journal his disease. Most days this will be filled with how he feels. Some days it will be doctor appointment mumbo jumbo.
We noticed Judah limping at the beginning of January 2012. Some days it would be worse and some days better. As with most Perthes patients, we thought it was his knee. By the beginning of February, we realized it was his hip. We took him to our local Urgent Care on February 6, and on the first x-ray examination they saw nothing abnormal. When the radiologist read the report they saw a "fracture", which on the report they concluded it probably was Legg Calve Perthes Disease.
 We then got an appointment with an orthopedic doctor on February 9. Dr. Hegg concluded it was Legg Calve Perthes Disease. Upon x-ray of his right hip, there was some flattening and sclerosis. We were told it can result in significant loss of motion and early development of hip arthritis. We are to try to maintain the motion in that leg with physical therapy and try to keep a four-year-old from running, jumping, and ball sports in the early phases of this disease. We go for physical therapy on March 8, and a follow-up with the orthopedic doctor May 1.
The following is his range of motion numbers for our records.
Left hip flexion 150-160
Right hip flexion 135-140
Left hip internal rotation 20
Right hip internal rotation 25
Left hip external rotation 65-70
Right hip external rotation 35-40
Left hip abduction 55
Right hip abduction 40
Left hip adduction 35
Right hip adduction 25
Right hip vascular NVI distally
Right hip palpation non-tender Howorth is positive

Cassia