[Coxa valga in childhood. Does it need treatment? (author's transl)].

Coxa valga in a child is not necessarily a pathological condition which needs treatment as long as the acetabulum shows adequate development for the patients age and constitution. Varus osteotomy is not indicated in these cases and may even result in poor development of the hip following operation. The author demonstrates a case in which fracture of the femoral neck on one side healed in varus position. Varus osteotomy was subsequently done on the other side to equalize both hips. This resulted in extreme valgus position and narrowing of the joint space of both hips at puberty. The neck-shaft angle of the femur changes constantly during childhool. Valgus position of the femoral neck with good development of the acetabulum occurs frequently and does not lead to secondary osteoarthritis in later life. Prophylactic correction by varus osteotomy should therefore be abandoned unless there is true dysplasia of the hip.