Corrective Osteotomy with an Original Plate for Moderate Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis

We investigated, at skeletal maturity, the radiographic and clinical results of 20 patients with slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) who were treated by corrective osteotomy (CO). Mean age was 13.1 years at the time of operation and 19.8 years at the final examination. CO was performed by the intertrochanteric open-wedge method using an original plate without physeal fixation. The mean posterior tilt angle (PTA) was 47° before CO, 12° after CO, and 9° at the final examination, which indicated that 35° correction was obtained by CO and that this was maintained to skeletal maturity. Physeal closure was recognized in all cases without further slippage. Fifteen of the 20 patients had remodeling of the proximal femur according to the criteria of Jones et al. Six patients had very mild osteoarthritis (OA) changes according to the criteria of Boyer et al. at the final examination. Clinical results were also good with a low incidence of complications. We think that CO using the original plate is a useful method for moderate SCFE because its radiographic and clinical results are good with a simple technique. We emphasize the needlessness of physeal fixation at CO because natural physeal closure occurs without further slippage.