SCFE occurs primarily in which age group?

• A. Infants
• B. Toddlers
• C. Adolescents
• D. Adults

Answer: (C)

SCFE typically happens when the growth plate at the top of the femur is still open and relatively weak during adolescence. This period features rapid growth and hormonal changes that soften the physis, so shear forces can cause the femoral head to slip posteriorly beneath the neck. That’s why teens—often with rapid growth and sometimes obesity—are most affected. Infants and toddlers have hip conditions related to other processes and adults have closed growth plates, making SCFE unlikely in those groups. Understanding this age pattern helps explain why adolescence is the characteristic window for SCFE and underscores why urgent orthopedic evaluation is needed to prevent progression.