Opinions on and comparative observations about the etiology of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease.

The article describes the various opinions on the etiology of Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease: 1. The theory of double infarction. 2. The theory of venous stasis. 3. The latent prolonged ischemic phase. Due to the varying development of the vasculature of the proximal end of the femur, with a diminishing number of arteries ensuring blood supply and the subsequent reduction in the speed of flow in the myeloic sinuses, we describe here the origin of the latent ischemic phase of the proximal epiphysis of the femur, which constitutes the predisposition for the development of Perthes' disease. In the discussion about the diverse alterations connected with Legg-Calvé-Perthes disease, like the retardation of skeletal maturity, the dysplasia capitis or the necrosis following the treatment of congenital hip luxation, the different interpretations about the etiology of Perthes' disease are compared.