The radiographs of 153 children suffering from Perthes' disease of one hip were studied to examine the bony outline of the femoral capital epiphysis in the unaffected hip. In 48.4 per cent of patients irregularity of the surface, flattening or dimpling, were noted; in the majority of instances (37.2 per cent) these changes were present in the initial anteroposterior radiograph. By contrast, these changes were present in only 10.4 per cent of a control series of 153 children in whom intravenous urography was being performed, these children being matched for age and sex with the children with Perthes' disease. A second unmatched control series of 49 children whose pelves were being radiographed after injury showed a 6.1 per cent incidence of contour irregularities in 98 femoral capital epiphyses. In the patients with Perthes' disease and in the control series obtained at urography the incidence of changes was inversely related to age. The possible cause and significance of contour irregularities in normal children and in those with Perthes' disease is disscussed.

Twenty-four hips in twenty children affected by Group 1 Perthes' disease have been reviewed to assess the radiographic result after a minimum follow-up of four years. The children were allocated to Group 1 prospectively after examination of the early radiographs and no specific treatment of the affected hip was provided. The radiographic end results assessed by three methods were good even in those cases in which the additional stress of containment splintage of the contralateral hip was applied.