Op Non-STOP Study (Operative or Non Surgical Treatment of Perthes’ disease). A multi-centre prospective randomised superiority trial of containment surgery compared to optimised non-surgical care for Perthes’ disease of the hip in children (OP Non-STOP)

Research summary

Perthes’ disease is a rare condition of the hip joint and one of the most disabling conditions affecting children. It has a profound impact on the life of the child, and that of their family. Perthes’ disease is caused by a problem with the blood supply to the hip, which means the ball doesn’t get enough oxygen and nutrients to grow. When this happens, the hip loses its strength and flattens. In Perthes’ disease there is a temporary loss of blood supply, which means that after some months the nutrients return, and the ball again hardens. However, the bone remains whatever shape it was when it became squashed. This can lead to a ball that doesn’t fit well into the socket, which can cause pain, limitation to usual activities and severe hip arthritis in childhood. This study will compare children having containment surgery to children having active (non-surgical) containment and specifically look at how well children are able to take part in activities three-years after joining the study. 216 children aged five to 12 years old with newly diagnosed Perthes’ disease will be invited to take part in the study. At the end of the study, we aim to know if containment surgery is better than active (non-surgical) containment for helping patients with Perthes’ disease to be able to take part in activities.

Principal Investigator

Mr Alpesh Kothari

Contact us

Email: childrensresearch@ouh.nhs.uk

IRAS number

318800