Remodeling of the femoral neck after in situ pinning for slipped capital femoral epiphysis.

During a period of thirty-six years, sixty-two patients with seventy slipped capital femoral epiphyses were treated by pinning in situ. Twelve of these patients, ten years and eight months to sixteen years and one month old, were treated for moderate to severe slipping by pinning in situ. After follow-ups ranging from two to seventeen years, all but two patients had satisfactory remodeling of the femoral head and neck and were asymptomatic. The two with incomplete or no remodeling had no symptoms. It was concluded that the effects of remodeling have been largely ignored and that pinning in situ when possible, followed if necessary by osteoplasty or osteotomy through the lesser trochanter, is a safe and effective treatment.