title: EVOLUTION OF SLIPPED CAPITAL FEMORAL EPIPHYSIS AFTER NONSURGICAL TREATMENT.
abstract: To evaluate the efficacy of conservative treatment of patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) and the complications due to the progression of the disease.
  
  
  METHODS
  18 patients (26 hips) seen consecutively from December 1996 to August 2006 at the Orthopedics Service of Santa Casa de Misericórdia de São Paulo, who had been referred from other services with a diagnosis of SCFE and were treated without surgery, were retrospectively analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Slip progression occurred in 19 hips (73%). Among the mild cases, eight remained mild, four became moderate and one became severe, according to the Southwick classification. Four out of the six originally moderate cases became severe and the two already severe cases worsened.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although today there is a consensus regarding the indication of surgical treatment for SCFE to prevent progression, some cases with confirmed diagnoses are still being treated conservatively. This is a major error, since it implies increased morbidity of the disease.
authors.affiliation: PhD in Orthopedics. Adjunct Professor and Senior Member of the Pediatric Orthopedics Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo.
authors.forename: Cláudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Santili
authors.affiliation: MSc and PhD in Orthopedics. Head of the Pediatric Orthopedics Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Akkari
authors.affiliation: Attending Physician in the Pediatric Orthopedics Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo.
authors.forename: Gilberto
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Waisberg
authors.affiliation: MSc in Orthopedics. Attending Physician in the Pediatric Orthopedics Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo.
authors.forename: Susana Reis
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Braga
authors.affiliation: Trainee Physician in the Pediatric Orthopedics Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo.
authors.forename: Akemi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasahara
authors.affiliation: Trainee Physician in the Pediatric Orthopedics Group, Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, School of Medical Sciences, Santa Casa de São Paulo.
authors.forename: Mauro Coura
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Perez
keywords: Epiphyses, Slipped; Natural history of diseases; Therapeutics