Vitality of the slipped capital femoral epiphysis. Preoperative evaluation by tetracycline labeling.

In 25 cases with 29 slipped capital femoral epiphyses, treated with bilateral pinning, tetracycline was administrated preoperatively. Biopsies from the femoral head and the trochanteric region were analyzed by fluorescence microscopy. All had normal tetracycline labeling except the only patient with an acute severe slip.