Osgood-Schlatter Disease (Knee Pain)

If your child has swelling, tenderness and aching pain beneath the knee joint that worsens during activity and gets better during periods of rest, it may be Osgood-Schlatter disease. It’s a common and temporary condition, and not really a disease. It’s an overuse syndrome – a set of symptoms that happen at the same time and with excessive activity.

Young athletes usually get Osgood-Schlatter during their rapid growth years from ages 9 to 13. Youths who are extremely active in sports may be vulnerable. It happens more often in boys, but girls get it at younger ages too.

Usually Osgood-Schlatter affects only one knee. Look for a slightly swollen, warm and tender bony bump below your child’s kneecap. The bump hurts when you press it, and it also hurts when the child kneels, jumps, climbs stairs, runs, squats, lift weights or does any activity that bends or fully extends the leg. Pain also appears at night.

The pain comes from repeated pulling of the kneecap (patellar) tendon. Repetitive, overuse injuries may make the tendon inflamed at the spot where it connects to the shinbone (tibia). Fast- growing bone is susceptible where the tendon pulls on it. The tendon may get inflamed or even tear away, sometimes taking a tiny piece of shinbone with it.

Treatment

First, don’t ignore the pain! Encourage your child to rest the knee until it gets better. When this is followed, Osgood-Schlatter usually heals itself within six to 18 months. But if the pain is ignored and the activities that caused it continue, the condition may become harder to treat and might even come back again later in life.

Your child doesn’t have to stop participating in sports altogether. Simply limit activity. Competitive athletes may need to stop training for two to three months. It is important to note that effective training levels may not be reached for six to seven months.

During healing, a pain reliever such as ibuprofen can be used to reduce discomfort and swelling. Icing the area after sports and/or using a protective kneepad should also be considered. If the pain does not go away, your doctor may suggest a brace or a cast.

A slow return to the old level of activity should be attempted after the pain is completely gone. Your doctor may recommend certain stretching and strengthening exercises to help avoid this condition again in the future.