title: [The long-term results of brace treatment in Perthes disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the long-term radiological outcomes of the patients with Perthes disease who were conservatively treated with brace.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-three hips of 27 skeletally mature patients (21 males, 6 females; mean age 25.2±3.4 years; range 20 to 32 years) treated with modified Thomas splint were included in this study. The results were evaluated according to the Stulberg classification.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean age of the patients was 6.3±2.2 (range 3-12) years at the onset of the disease and the mean follow-up was 18.6±3.2 (range 7.2-24.1) years. According to onset of the disease, good results were obtained for the patients who were less than six-years-old as 77.7%, between 6-9 years old as 84.2%, after nine years old as 40%. However, 100% of the Herring group A hips, 79.2% of the group B hips and 50% of the group C hips were healed with Stulberg class I or II results.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We obtained satisfactory results after conservative treatment with Thomas splint in patients who were between 6-9 years old at onset of the disease with Herring group B involvement. It is hard to say whether the good results were stemmed from having good prognosis of these patients, or stemmed from positive effect of using brace on treatment.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Medical Faculty of Karadeniz Technical University, Trabzon, Turkey.
authors.forename: Servet
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kerimoğlu
authors.forename: Atilla
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cıtlak
authors.forename: Celal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Baki
authors.forename: Hafız
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Aydın
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D001915:Braces; D005260:Female; D006621:Hip Joint / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007873:Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011859:Radiography; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult