Osgood-Schlatter disease is painful inflammation of the bone and cartilage at the top of the shinbone (tibia).
This disease is caused by overuse of the leg.
Typical symptoms include pain, swelling, and tenderness at the knee.
The diagnosis is based on a physical examination and sometimes x-rays.
Treatment usually includes pain relief and rest.
Osgood-Schlatter disease is an osteochondrosis. An osteochondrosis is a disorder of the growth plates of bones that occurs when a child is growing rapidly.
Osgood-Schlatter disease develops in children between 10 and 15 years of age and usually affects only one leg. The disease is usually more common among boys, but the gender gap is narrowing as more girls become involved in sports programs.
The cause of Osgood-Schlatter disease is thought to be repetitive, excessive pulling of the tendon of the kneecap (patella) where it attaches at the top of the shinbone. This attachment point is called the tibial tubercle. Some children develop a bony bump at this spot.
The major symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease are pain, swelling, and tenderness at the tibial tubercle at the front of the knee just below the kneecap. The pain worsens with activity and is relieved with rest.
DR P. MARAZZI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY
Diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter Disease
A doctor's evaluation
Sometimes x-rays
Doctors base the diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter disease on an examination and the child's symptoms.
X-rays of the knee may show the tibial tubercle has enlarged or has broken into fragments. However, x-rays are not needed unless the child has other symptoms, such as pain and swelling that extend beyond the knee or pain that is accompanied by redness and warmth. These symptoms suggest another disorder, such as an injury or joint inflammation.
Treatment of Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Rest and measures to relieve pain
Rarely immobilization, steroid (also called glucocorticoids or corticosteroids) injections, and surgery
Symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease usually resolve after several weeks or months. Avoiding excessive exercise and deep knee bending helps reduce pain. However, doctors do allow children with this disease to continue to participate in sports or exercise.
Use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), stretching exercises, and application of ice on the affected knee may help relieve the pain.
Rarely, the leg may need to be immobilized in a plaster cast, steroids may need to be injected below the skin around the tibial tubercle to reduce inflammation, and surgical procedures that involve the removal of fragments of bone, drilling, and grafting are required.
