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Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE)
- No.1 for private orthopaedics in London
- 40,000+ babies, children and young people cared for every year
- First private hospital to install a low radiation X-ray scanner
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Slipped capital femoral epiphysis AT HCA UK
Why choose us?
From injuries or trauma on the school playing field to developmental conditions and gait problems, our team of specialist paediatric orthopaedic experts is dedicated to getting your child back to doing what they love.
They’ll receive family-centred care from multidisciplinary teams that bring together experts from a wide range of disciplines, including therapists and specialist nurses. It’s how we ensure your child gets the personalised attention and clinical support they need, when they need it.
They’ll receive family-centred care from multidisciplinary teams that bring together experts from a wide range of disciplines, including therapists and specialist nurses. It’s how we ensure your child gets the personalised attention and clinical support they need, when they need it.
SCFE is a hip disorder, most common in adolescents aged 10 to 16 years old who are still growing. It happens when the top part of your child’s thigh bone (or femur), known as the femoral head, tips backwards in its socket off the neck of the bone at the growth plate, called the neck of the femur. A good visual aid is to imagine it like a ball of ice cream slipping off its cone.
Growth spurts, a traumatic fall or excessive weight issues can all cause SCFE, and this hip disorder affects both boys and girls. Sometimes hormonal issues such as problems with your child’s thyroid or their growth hormone can cause SCFE too, but that’s rare.
The first sign that your child has SCFE is usually that they complain that they have pain in one of their hips. This can be a mild pain causing a limp, or a severe pain leaving them unable to walk. Importantly, sometimes your child won’t feel pain in their hip itself, but down the front of their thigh, or in the front of their knee.
Other symptoms to watch out for are if they have sudden pain after a fall or if their affected leg appears shorter.
Your child’s consultant will diagnose their condition using clinical examination, including a gait assessment and X-ray. If your child can walk freely, they may have what’s known as stable SCFE. If their walking is impaired, they may have unstable SCFE.
Other symptoms to watch out for are if they have sudden pain after a fall or if their affected leg appears shorter.
Your child’s consultant will diagnose their condition using clinical examination, including a gait assessment and X-ray. If your child can walk freely, they may have what’s known as stable SCFE. If their walking is impaired, they may have unstable SCFE.
No.1
in London for private orthopaedic care
40,000+
babies, children and young people cared for every year
20+
paediatric orthopaedic consultants
Fast access to specialists
Appointments confirmed within 24 hours.
State-of-the-art diagnostics
With results in as little as 48 hours.
Treatment for complex conditions
Our complete breadth of expertise, focused on your child.
Worried about your child’s hip pain?
Get in touch and book a same-day or next-day GP appointment.
Have a referral letter and need to book?
Simply book a scan directly today.
Unsure of a diagnosis and need some answers?
Talk to a specialist and get the answers you’ve been looking for.
SCFE TESTS AND SCANS AT HCA UK
A fast, expert assessment
Your consultant will discuss your child’s symptoms with them and perform a thorough clinical assessment of their hip, evaluating it for pain. They’ll also assess your child’s gait (the way they walk) checking for a limp or any other irregularity. Then they’ll arrange for an X-ray to be taken of your child’s hip, which they’ll review to help confirm a diagnosis. An MRI scan may also be needed for extra clarity.
At The Portland Hospital, we offer advanced, state-of-the-art low-dose radiation X-ray scanning. This is particularly suitable for children with musculoskeletal conditions, making the diagnostic process as safe as possible for your child.
At The Portland Hospital, we offer advanced, state-of-the-art low-dose radiation X-ray scanning. This is particularly suitable for children with musculoskeletal conditions, making the diagnostic process as safe as possible for your child.
- Gait assessment
- X-ray
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
SCFE treatments at HCA UK
Specialist care you can trust
Your child’s consultant will recommend a treatment plan based on a thorough assessment of their hip. That may include surgery to prevent the ball of their hip from slipping any further in their hip socket. There are different surgical approaches, depending on the severity of their condition.
If the slip is mild, their consultant may recommend an in-situ fixation for stable SCFE. The surgeon will make a small incision at their hip and insert a metal screw to stabilise their femoral head. If they think their other hip may also be at risk, they may recommend having an in-situ fixation in that hip too, to pre-empt any problems.
If the slip is severe, they may recommend an open reduction for unstable SCFE. An open incision is made at the hip, and their femoral head is moved back to its natural position, with one or two metal screws inserted to hold the bone in place.
If your child has had the condition for some time, the bone may need to be cut to allow the femoral head to be returned to the correct position. Your consultant will carefully discuss the risks and benefits, giving you specialist advice and care that you can trust.
Accessing private healthcare
Self-pay
You don’t need health insurance for your child to be seen quickly. If you’re looking for a diagnosis or treatment and don’t want to wait, all of our private healthcare services – from private GP appointments through to surgery and aftercare – can be paid for as and when you need them.
And we’ll give you a clear and transparent quote from the start, outlining exactly what’s included in your self-pay package.
SCFE FAQs
Your child's consultant will discuss their symptoms with them and carry out a physical examination to help make a diagnosis, assessing if it’s hip motion that’s causing any pain.
They’ll also look for any irregularities in their gait and carry out an X-ray, to help determine whether they need surgical intervention.
Your child will need to use crutches, and the team will show them how to safely get about. They’ll also be offered specialist physiotherapy as the exercises will help to strengthen the muscles surrounding their hip and improve their hip's range of motion.
Your child will need to rest and avoid strenuous activity such as sports for a period while their hip joint and leg muscles regain strength. Your consultant will advise you exactly how long depending on your child’s condition and the surgery they’ve had. They’ll be there at every stage to help ensure that your child has a full and fast recovery.
Yes, which is why early detection is important. If SCFE is left untreated, your child may develop some serious complications including the accelerated degeneration of the femoral head of their affected hip and painful arthritis in that hip joint. Your consultant will recommend a treatment depending on whether they have stable or unstable SCFE.
Our patients’ stories
Rhiannon’s courage: Recovering after scoliosis surgery
Rhiannon was an active 14-year-old girl. When she occasionally complained to her parents about aches and pains in her back, there was no reason to think it was anything more sinister than sore muscles from one of her dance classes, or something she’d pulled while horse riding.
Millie's story – still hula hooping after scoliosis surgery
On the day of her 14th birthday, Millie was driving from South Wales to London with her mum, Vicki, for her long-awaited scoliosis operation. "It was the best birthday present I could ask for," says Millie, who is from Blaenrhondda in the Rhonda Valley, "being given a perfectly straight back."
Bode's successful spinal surgery at just 14
Bode's (14) surgery fitted her with one titanium and one cobalt chrome rod on either side of her spine held in place by 18 screws. Comparing the before and after X-Rays, they managed to make her spine perfectly straight which Bode says, "was incredible.” She’s now reassuring other young patients with Idiopathic Adolescent Scoliosis.
“One nurse called Holly was my lifeline, helping me to get walking again. It felt like the whole team was there to help me get well – they become almost like family.”
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This content is intended for general information only and does not replace the need for personal advice from a qualified health professional.