[Roentgenologic investigations on surgical treatment of Perthes' disease. First communication: results following spiking operations with Moore's pins (author's transl)].

The present investigation of 84 operations effected because of Perthes' disease, was conducted with the aim of comparing and assessing two surgical methods. For this purpose, preoperative and postoperative measurements and statistical calculations were effected of the epiphyseal index, the radius quotient, the acetabular head index, the acetabular index, and the angle of the capitular epiphysis of the femur. The shape and kind of congruence was also included in the assessment. Fixation with Moore's pins or with Kirschner wires was conducted 28 times up to 1971. The patients remained in the clinic for an average period of six months with an average immobilization period of twelve weeks. Physiological congruence 1 was achieved in only 15% of the cases; deformed femoral heads were seen in 36% of the patients. The influence of the operation on the central positioning of the femoral head was only slight. 81% of the diseased hip joints showed an enlarged acetabular entrance. The angle of the capitular epiphysis of the femur showed average values near the boundary to the predysplasia range (19.8 degrees). Objective total assessment (Bauer and Jünger 1974) yielded 45% good or very good results and 37% poor results. Basing on these results this surgical method can no longer be recommended.