Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common cause of knee pain in growing adolescents, particularly boys between the ages of 10 and 15 who play games or sports that include frequent running and jumping. It is an overuse condition or knee injury that causes a painful bump and swelling on the shinbone, where the patellar tendon attaches to the top of the shinbone (tibia), a spot called the tibial tuberosity. The condition is caused by irritation of the bone growth plate, which is weaker and more at risk for injury than the rest of the bone. During a childs growth spurt, the bones, muscles, and tendons grow at different rates, and the tendon that connects the shinbone to the kneecap pulls on the growth plate at the top of the shinbone. Activities and sports cause this to happen over and over, which causes injury to the growth plate and leads to the pain of Osgood-Schlatter disease.
The symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease include pain and swelling below the knee joint, where the patellar tendon attaches to the shinbone. Most children will develop Osgood-Schlatter disease in one knee only, but some will develop it in both. Treatment for Osgood-Schlatter disease includes reducing the activity that makes it worse, icing the painful area, using kneepads or a patellar tendon strap, and anti-inflammatory medication. In most cases, simple measures like rest, ice, over-the-counter medication, and stretching and strengthening exercises will relieve pain and allow a return to daily activities. Surgery is rarely used to treat Osgood-Schlatter disease.
