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Osgood-Schlatter Disease

(Osgood-Schlatter's Disease)

By

Frank Pessler

, MD, PhD, Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research

Reviewed/Revised Nov 2022
View PATIENT EDUCATION

Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs between ages 10 years and 15 years and is usually unilateral. Although the disease is more common among boys, this status is changing as girls become more active in sports programs.

Etiology of Osgood-Schlatter disease is thought to be trauma due to excessive traction by the patellar tendon on its immature epiphyseal insertion, leading to microavulsion fractures.

Characteristic symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease are pain, swelling, and tenderness over the tibial tubercle at the patellar tendon insertion. There are no systemic manifestations.

Diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter Disease

  • Clinical evaluation

  • Sometimes x-rays

Diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter disease is by characteristic findings isolated over the tibial tubercle on examination.

Lateral knee x-rays may show fragmentation of the tibial tubercle. However, x-rays are not needed unless other disorders (eg, injury, joint inflammation) are suggested by pain and swelling extending beyond the area over the tibial tubercle or pain is accompanied by redness and warmth.

Treatment of Osgood-Schlatter Disease

  • Analgesics

  • Rest

  • Rarely immobilization, corticosteroid injection, and surgery

Resolution is usually spontaneous within weeks or months. Usually, taking analgesics and avoiding excessive exercise, especially deep knee bending, are the only necessary measures. Complete avoidance of sports is unnecessary.

Rarely, immobilization in plaster, intralesional injection of hydrocortisone, surgical removal of loose bodies (eg, ossicles, avulsed fragments of bone), drilling, and grafting are required.

Drugs Mentioned In This Article

Drug Name Select Trade
A-Hydrocort, Ala-Cort, Ala-Scalp, Alkindi, Anucort-HC, Anumed-HC, Anusol HC, Aquaphor Children's Itch Relief, Aquaphor Itch Relief, Balneol for Her, Caldecort , Cetacort, Colocort , Cortaid, Cortaid Advanced, Cortaid Intensive Therapy, Cortaid Sensitive Skin, CortAlo, Cortef, Cortenema, Corticaine, Corticool, Cortifoam, Cortizone-10, Cortizone-10 Cooling Relief, Cortizone-10 External Itch Relief, Cortizone-10 Intensive Healing, Cortizone-10 Plus, Cortizone-10 Quick Shot, Cortizone-5 , Dermarest Dricort, Dermarest Eczema, Dermarest Itch Relief, Encort, First - Hydrocortisone, Gly-Cort , GRx HiCort, Hemmorex-HC, Hemorrhoidal-HC, Hemril , Hycort, Hydro Skin, Hydrocortisone in Absorbase, Hydrocortone, Hydroskin , Hydroxym, Hytone, Instacort, Lacticare HC, Locoid, Locoid Lipocream, MiCort-HC , Monistat Complete Care Instant Itch Relief Cream, Neosporin Eczema, NuCort , Nutracort, NuZon, Pandel, Penecort, Preparation H Hydrocortisone, Proctocort, Proctocream-HC, Procto-Kit, Procto-Med HC , Procto-Pak, Proctosert HC , Proctosol-HC, Proctozone-HC, Rectacort HC, Rectasol-HC, Rederm, Sarnol-HC, Scalacort, Scalpicin Anti-Itch, Solu-Cortef, Texacort, Tucks HC, Vagisil Anti-Itch, Walgreens Intensive Healing, Westcort
View PATIENT EDUCATION
NOTE: This is the Professional Version. CONSUMERS: View Consumer Version
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