title: Quality of Life in Pediatric Patients with Avascular Necrosis of the Femoral Head.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study was to evaluate health-related quality of life in pediatric patients with avascular necrosis of the femoral head.
  
  
  METHODS
  A comparative study was conducted involving 32 children and adolescents in "ONFH Group" (subjects with a diagnosis of ONFH) and 44 in "Comparison Group" (asymptomatic children), both aged between 8 and 18. Clinical and sociodemographic data were obtained along with PedsQL 4.0 questionnaires to evaluate the quality of life in the age-ranges studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The two groups were similar as regards sociodemographic characteristics. Comparison of the quality of life total scores demonstrated significant differences between the ONFH group and the comparison group (58.86±16.54 versus 82.08±9.51), and this also occurred in all the domains analyzed. The predictors that showed correlation with the quality of life were: presence of necrosis, age, time of diagnosis, radiographic classification, Charnley score, educational level, previous surgeries, and previous infections.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm the hypothesis that pediatric patients with ONFH demonstrate a lower quality of life than healthy children in all the domains evaluated, especially with regard to the physical aspect.
authors.affiliation: Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Healt, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: Luanne Lísle Dos Santos
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.affiliation: Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Healt, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marilda
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castelar
authors.affiliation: Bahiana School of Medicine and Public Healt, Salvador, Brazil.
authors.forename: Marcos Almeida
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Matos
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001938:Brazil; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005270:Femur Head / Q000601:surgery*; D005271:Femur Head Necrosis / Q000523:psychology* / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010361:Patients / Q000523:psychology*; D011788:Quality of Life / Q000523:psychology*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013997:Time Factors