Slipped capital femoral epiphysis and endocrinopathy

Shrestha Dutta, Amity University Kolkata

The long bone of the thigh is called the femur. The end of the femur which is attached to the hip has a ball-like structure which is called the femoral head. The ball is fitted inside a cup-like structure which is made of the pelvic bone and is called the acetabulum. During development, the end of the head is called the epiphysis and is associated with the remaining part of the femur with the help of the growth plate.

What is meant by slipped capital femoral epiphysis?

Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is a disease seen in adults, where the growth plate is damaged, so the femoral head slips with respect to the rest of the femur. The head of the femur remains as it is in the cup of the hip joint and the remaining part of the femur bone is shifted.

The sub-acute and long term SCFE may lead to loss of joint function and osteoarthritis because of femoroacetabular injury.

Causes of SCFE:

The appropriate cause of this disease is not yet known. However, some factors which are linked with this disease are:

1. Obesity is the primary factor of risk.
2. Growth hormone therapy
3. Some endocrine diseases such as hypothyroidism and osteodystrophy
4. There might be a genetic predisposition to this condition
5. Males are more affected than females

Symptoms of the disease:

• pain in the groin, inner thigh and knee region
• stiffness and reduced capability to rotate the leg

Sometimes there might be changes in the way the patient walks. This is because they try to put little weight on the side affected. Mostly the onset of symptoms is slow or gradual.

A recent case study

A recent case study published in the journal BMC showed a 25-year old patient who was diagnosed with a large anterior cranial fossa tumour, hypogonadotropic hypogonadism and SCFE. The cranial tumour was operated via fronto-parietal craniotomy. The histopathological examinations showed that it was chondroma. Endocrinological consultants suggest that due to hypogonadism, the patient showed delayed sexual maturation.

The genetic examinations of the patient showed normal karyotype, the other genome which is necessary for the phenotype was not found. There was presence of an altered gonadotropin releasing hormone receptor protein for the gonadotropin hormone. Growth hormone treatment was initiated two weeks after the surgery to accomplish masculinization and spermatogenesis. This helped in the complete restoration of the patient’s phenotype and functional male characteristics. Later on, the patient also showed symptoms of SCFE.

So, it can be concluded that even though SCFE is an extremely rare hip joint disease, it is mostly associated with endocrinopathy. It can thus be recommended that every patient diagnosed with SCFE should undergo an endocrinological examination.

Also read: The fruit fly similarly regulates carbs and fats as mammals

Reference:

1. Sawicka-Gutaj, N., Woźniak, W., Naczk, J., Pochylski, M., Kruczyński, J., Budny, B., Szczepanek-Parulska, E., & Ruchała, M. (2021). “Slipped capital femoral epiphysis in a 25-year-old hypogonadic man with a large cranial chondroma: Causality or coincidence? “. BMC Endocrine Disorders, 21(1), 167. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12902-021-00828-0

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Author info:

Shrestha Dutta is a 4th-year Biotechnology Engineering Student with a great interest in Genetics, Recombinant DNA Technology, and Immunology. She is a creative scientific writer in Bioxone with an inclination towards gaining knowledge regarding various sections of Biotechnology and engaging herself in various wet lab skills. She also has a review paper published in the journal IJSER.

Reference links:

• https://www.ijser.org/researchpaper/Unfaltering-boon-of-Nanotechnology-on-Plant-Growth.pdf
• https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/therapy-for-congenital-myasthenia-a-destructive-neuromuscular-disorder/
• https://bioxone.in/news/indianews/first-cadaveric-liver-transplantation-in-india-by-hope-pump/
• https://bioxone.in/news/worldnews/nanodecoys-from-special-lung-cells-can-kill-sars-cov2/