Slipped upper femoral epiphysis

SUFE is a common hip disorder of adolescence, with unknown aetiology. The typical patient presenting with SUFE is an overweight adolescent boy, who reports pain in the groin, thigh or knee, with an associated limp. SUFE is defined as stable when the patient can walk, with or without support. The current treatment of choice for stable SUFE is by fixation in situ with a single screw. This method has a high probability of success, with minimal risk of osteonecrosis or chondrolysis. In those patients presenting with an unstable SUFE, immediate closed reduction and fixation with a single screw provides the best chance of a satisfactory result.