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Osgood-Schlatters is not a disease...

It has come to my attention that information on how to manage Osgood-Schlatters disease and what it actually is, has not been documented particularly well online. For the most part, people seem to have forgotten it is teenagers that suffer with this condition but nothing has been written in a way that teenagers can easily understand, or relate to....so I shall endeavour to rectify this! Osgood-Schlatters is common, especially in teenage boys. This is simply because the main problem is that the Quadriceps muscles grow and become more powerful than the bone it is anchored to which is still growing and if you like, slightly soft. Has anyone reading this has ever had a puppy or young horse…

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 Osgood Schlatter: A Misdiagnosed Condition

Osgood Schlatter is one of the most misdiagnosed conditions I see. If you’re young, active, and have pain below your knee, it doesn’t always mean Osgood Schlatter! Seriously! Osgood Schlatter TreatmentThis condition isn’t hereditary and mainly affects young people but can show up in adults too. Here’s something interesting: in my experience, it usually affects only one side. Why? Is one leg growing faster? Is only one side under stress? That right there is your clue that the common explanation might not add up.

 What is the cause of Osgood Schlatter Disease?

As much as Osgood is a side-effect of rapidly growing bones, Osgood can be considered an overuse injury of the tendon/enthesis in active children who are not yet strong, mobile, or skilled enough to handle the amount of activity they do. When we start to think of Osgood as an overuse injury in this way, it now bears similarity to patellar tendinopathy (jumper’s knee). This means we can treat Osgood Schlatter Disease just like a tendon injury - something we do all the time! This leads to another important insight from the best practitioners working on knee tendon rehabilitation: tendons love consistency.

Articles of Interest

Diagnosis and Management of Osgood Schlatter Disease

Osgood Schlatter disease was first described by Robert Osgood, an American orthopedic surgeon, and Carl Schlatter, a Swiss surgeon, in 1903 and is one of the most common causes of knee pain in growing adolescents, affecting 1 out of 10 adolescents.This disease often develops in young children going through puberty or playing sports.

Everything You Need to Know About Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Osgood-Schlatter Disease is not really a disease—it's a condition in which the tibial apophysis is inflamed due to traction by the patellar tendon.

Is the Prognosis of Osgood-Schlatter Poorer Than Anticipated?

In this prospective cohort of adolescents with OSD, over one-third experienced knee pain at 2-year follow-up, and 1 in 5 had dropped out of their sport due to knee pain. Continued pain was associated with decreased HRQoL and knee-related sports function. These findings question the short-lived self-resolving nature of OSD, with no long-term impact.

Kids’ Knee Pain: Is It Osgood-Schlatter Disease?

Although it sounds scary because of the word “disease,” Osgood-Schlatter is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It’s an overuse injury that tends to pop up in active adolescents, usually between the ages of 10 and 15.

Osgood Schlatter Disease in Adults: Tips, Exercises & Treatment

The good news is that Osgood-Schlatter disease, commonly referred to as the growing pains of your knees, usually goes away after you’ve stopped growing, usually between 14 and 18 years old. Therefore, this disease is rare among adults but not unheard of! Luckily, adults with Osgood-Schlatter disease normally only have one affected knee and don’t experience too much pain.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease: Appearance, Diagnosis and Treatment: A Narrative Review

Osgood-Schlatter disease is the most common osteochondritis of the lower limb in sport-practicing children and adolescents. Its manifestation usually coincides with the appearance of the secondary ossification center of the tibia and is linked to the practice of sports with an explosive component.omponent.

Sequelae of Osgood-Schlatter

The etiology of the disease is controversial. It is thought that it occurs due to microtraumas in the tuberositas tibia. Generally, it is treated with the use of analgesics and restricted knee movements. Surgical treatment is administered only for recurrent cases and sequelae cases causing any cosmetic problems.

The Etiology and Risk Factors of Osgood–Schlatter Disease: A Systematic Review

Osgood–Schlatter disease (OD) is a common pediatric disorder. It is a growth- and sports-associated knee injury with pain around the tibial tuberosity and morphology alterations around the apophysis (TTA) during adolescent growth. It often results from acute or chronic overload during sports activity, causing inflammation of the patellar tendon insertion on the tibial tuberosity.

Resources

SportsMedToday.com

The quadriceps’ (muscles of the front of the thigh) tendon attaches to the tibial tuberosity and with repetitive activity can cause traction of this growth center and cause inflammation to the upper shinbone. Osgood-Schlatter disease is caused by repetitive activities in growing teenagers who do not allow enough time in between activities to allow the inflammation that occurs at the tibial tuberosity to heal.

The Physio Company

The issue with Osgood-Schlatter disease can largely be attributed to Patellar Tendon pulling on the Tibial Tubercle. This of course is most likely to happen during periods of sudden growth, when the growth plates expand at a rate faster than the Patellar is capable of keeping up with. If this is coupled with vigorous exercise, the Patellar will pull more frequently and with more force. All of this pulls the Tibial Tubercle, which causes it to become inflamed.

Harvard Health

The connection between the tendon and tibia is particularly vulnerable to stress and injury during times when the bone is growing rapidly and the patellar tendon is relatively short. For this reason, symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease usually appear between the ages of 9 and 15, during or after the teenage growth spurt.

HuffPost

Osgood-Schlatter Disease is a self-limiting disease. It occurs with an increased demand on the immature skeleton and it is resolved when the patient stops growing, around age 14 for girls and around age 16 for boys. Prominence of the lump may persist.

OrthoInfo

Osgood-Schlatter disease most often occurs during growth spurts, when bones, muscles, tendons, and other structures are changing rapidly. Because physical activity puts additional stress on bones and muscles, children who participate in athletics — especially running and jumping sports — are at an increased risk for this condition. However, less active adolescents may also experience this problem.

Physiopedia

OSD is an overuse injury that mostly appears in active, adolescent patients. The repetitive strain and microtrauma results in irritation and in severe cases partial avulsion of the tibial tubercle apophysis. Rarely trauma may lead to a full avulsion fracture. Predisposing factors include poor flexibility of quadriceps and hamstrings or other evidence of extensor mechanism misalignment.

StatPearls

Osgood Schlatter disease is an overuse injury that occurs in active adolescent patients. It occurs secondary to repetitive strain and microtrauma from the force applied by the strong patellar tendon at its insertion into the relatively soft apophysis of the tibial tubercle. This force results in irritation and severe cases partial avulsion of the tibial tubercle apophysis.

Strickland Protocol

The Strickland Protocol: An Osgood Schlatter’s Disease Treatment which cures in an average of 3 weeks