Osgood-Schlatter's disease

Osgood-Schlatter's disease is an overuse syndrome of the paediatric population that results in traction apophysitis of the tibial tubercle.

Typically occurs during an adolescent growth spurt in young athletes who participate in sports that involve repeated knee flexion and forced extension. Males are affected more often than females.

Diagnosis is clinical; patients typically present with pain, swelling, warmth, and localised tenderness to palpation over the tibial tubercle.

Conservative treatment is successful in most patients and consists of activity modification, ice, stretching, and strengthening exercises.

Plain x-rays of the knee are used to rule out other lesions of the proximal tibia if pain is unilateral and/or severe and persistent.

Up to 10% of patients may experience pain as adults due to formation of a separate ossicle at the tibial tubercle.

Rarely, when this condition fails to respond to non-surgical management, excision of the affected part of the tibial tubercle predictably relieves symptoms.

Osgood-Schlatter's disease (OSD) is an overuse syndrome of the paediatric population that typically affects young athletes during their adolescent growth spurt. It presents with pain, tenderness to palpation, and swelling directly over the tibial tubercle. It is typically a self-limiting condition that resolves after a period of activity modification, with ultimate resolution occurring when patients reach skeletal maturity.[1]Gholve PA, Scher DM, Khakharia S, et al. Osgood Schlatter syndrome. Curr Opin Pediatr. 2007;19:44-50. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17224661?tool=bestpractice.com