Diagnosis

A SCFE diagnosis involves:

Signs and Symptoms

SCFE is accompanied by pain in the groin, hip, thigh and/or knee. If the slip is stable, patients typically report a mild, intermittent pain over several weeks or months, which worsens with physical activity.

If the slip is unstable, patients will experience a sudden, severe pain and an inability to bear weight on their affected leg. When the patient walks, there may also be an outward turning of the affected leg.

Clinical Diagnosis

During an examination, the doctor will check for obligate external rotation by flexing the hip and observing whether the patient’s leg rotates outward. Other potential signs of SCFE include limited internal rotation of the hip, leg length discrepancy, involuntary muscle spasms, and abnormal gait.

Imaging

Typically, anteroposterior and lateral pelvic x-rays are used to confirm a SCFE diagnosis. A physician may also order a bone scan to evaluate vascularity of the femoral head.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) can also be used to assess vascularity, as well as to evaluate post-SCFE impingement and detect labral tears.