[The value of scintigraphy and osteoscintimetry for the early detection of legg-calvé-perthes disease (author's transl)].

Scintigraphy and the stimultaneously effected osteoscintimetry of the pelvis and of both hip joints offers the possibility of a safe early diagnosis of Perthes' disease directly after manifestation of the clinical symptoms, two months before the roentgenologically identifiable, discrete changes of stage I have occurred, or four months before the clear roentgenological visualisation of the disease (stage II). Moreover, scintigraphy enables detection of the time at which restitution or revascularisation of the necrotic bone of the epiphysis of the head of the femur sets in, and to draw further conclusions from the scintigraphic and scintimetric pattern of results, on the prognosis and further course (with time) of Perthes' disease.