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Slipped capital femoral epiphysis — ABEM Board MCQ

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ModerateMusculoskeletal/Orthopedic emergenciesSlipped capital femoral epiphysisABEM Board

A 13-year-old obese boy presents as triage level 3 with 3 weeks of atraumatic hip and knee pain and a limp. He holds the hip externally rotated, and frog-leg lateral radiograph shows posterior-inferior displacement of the femoral head relative to the neck. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

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Correct answer: B — Slipped capital femoral epiphysis

Adolescent obesity, referred knee pain, externally rotated gait, and classic radiographic displacement indicate SCFE.

Reference: Pediatric orthopedic guidance; ABEM EM Model