Osgood-Schlatter Disease
If you been reading this month’s blog posts, you’ve noticed a theme within the broad theme of knee pain. We’ve been focusing on the patella, the small bone located in the middle of the patellar tendon, and it’s not surprising that so many different conditions exist when you think about the amount load and force placed through it. This week we’re focusing on Osgood-Schlatter Disease which is a condition that affects adolescents and commonly presents with pain just below the knee joint line and a bony growth on the front of the knee.
Osgood-Schlatter is caused by irritation of the growth plate where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia at the tibial tubercle. In adolescents who have a large growth spurt and with open growth plates, the amount of stress and pulling on the growth plate from the tendon can result in inflammation and pain. A bony bump may also form where the tendon attaches to the bone as well and it can vary in size and is permanent. It’s important to note that this condition only occurs in adolescents who haven’t reached skeletal maturity yet and still have open growth plates. Because of this, Osgood-Schlatter is usually found to occur in girls about 1-2 years sooner than boys.
Osgood-Schlatter is commonly found in athletes who play sports that involve lots of jumping and running. It is more common in boys in general, but as girls are getting more involved in sports and other activities that trend is changing. It also usually occurs following a rapid growth spurt and is present in about 20% who are active in sports compared to 5% who aren’t according to a 1985 article by Kujala et al in the American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Osgood-Schlatter disease will result in pain with running, jumping, and other sports-related activities. Symptoms can occur in both knees, but usually one side is worse than the other. Individuals with Osgood-Schlatter will experience pain and tenderness at the tibial tubercle where the patellar tendon attaches, swelling or bony bump at tibial tubercle, and decreased flexibility and tightness of quadriceps and hamstrings.
Treatment of Osgood-Schlatter disease is primarily rest, ice, anti-inflammatories as needed, stretching of tight lower extremity musculature, and strengthening. Pain is usually activity-limiting and participation is dependent on the athlete’s tolerance. Some athletes will wear a band around their knee to decrease the amount of stress and pull at the tibial tubercle. Symptoms usually resolve once the adolescent reaches skeletal maturity, on average girls at age 14 and boys at age 16, with the only the bony bump at the tibial tubercle remaining.
If you are interested in learning more or about treatment options, don’t hesitate to call/text 701-318-4731 or email connectptnd@gmail.com to learn how we can help. Don’t forget to follow on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date on the happenings at Connect Physical Therapy.
- Alison Fuhrman, PT, DPT, CMPT, OCS