O2118: Dissecting the Epidemiology of Slipped Capital Femoral Epiphysis: A Nationwide Database Analysis of over 33 Million Patients

Background: Slipped capital femoral epiphysis (SCFE) is one of most common hip pathologies in adolescents. Epidemiological studies indicate that the prevalence of SCFE is rising, potentially due to a concurrent rise in obesity. The aim of this study was to investigate current epidemiologic trends in SCFE.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample (NIS) from years 2011 to 2020. All patients under the age of 18 were identified. Subsequently, those with a diagnosis of SCFE were identified by International Classification of Diseases (ICD) 9 or ICD-10 code. We recorded a number of demographic variables and recorded any diagnosis of weight class including: overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. Multivariate regression was performed to demographic factors associated with SCFE. Patients with SCFE were also split into two cohorts, those under and those over the age of 9 at the time of SCFE diagnosis, to compare demographics between age ranges.

Results: A total of 33,180,028 pediatric patients were identified, and 11,738 (0.04%) had a diagnosis of SCFE. The mean age of SCFE patients was 11.94 (3.5) years old at the time of diagnosis and 7,347 (62.89%) were male. Multivariate regression showed that female gender reduced the risk of SCFE, while Black and Hispanic patients had an increased risk of SCFE, as did patients in the geographic West. Notably, there was no difference in the prevalence between genders in those with SCFE under the age of 9.

Conclusion: A number of demographic factors influence the risk of SCFE, namely male sex, Black race, Hispanic ethnicity. Many observed trends, both in our own analysis and in current literature, may be associated with rising rates of obesity.