A comparative study has been made of twelve Patients with Legg-Perthes disease treated by prolonged bed rest and skin traction, and an equal number treated with continued ambulation but with protection from weight-bearing by means of crutches and the addition of a lift to the shoe on the contralateral side. The twelve patients treated by the ambulatory method were chosen from a group of fifty-four patients thus treated during a ten-year period. An attempt was made to select patients for comparison who showed a similar type of involvement and who, at the time treatment was instituted, appeared to be in a comparably early phase of the disease.
This study shows a vastly improved early end result in the series of cases treated by prolonged bed rest. It is felt, that bed rest and traction are the ideal form of non-operative treatment in patients who are seen before one marked deformity exists, and that this treatment is especially suitable for very young children and those with bilateral involvement.