Core decompression for juvenile osteonecrosis.

Core decompression may be used as adjunct for treatment in some cases of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease (LCPD). The primary application is for patients with onset at 12 years of age or older. We recommend classifying these older patients as idiopathic juvenile osteonecrosis and treating them similarly to adults with avascular necrosis. Juvenile osteonecrosis may benefit from core decompression combined with shelf acetabuloplasty during the early stages of necrosis. Younger children with LCPD may benefit from decompression by fenestration of the femoral head. Experience in adult-onset osteonecrosis and our early experience suggest that some patients may benefit from these adjunctive treatments.