Osgood-Schlatter DiseaseSymptoms, Doctors, Treatments, Advances & More
Learn About Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease is a painful swelling of the bump on the upper part of the shinbone, just below the knee. This bump is called the anterior tibial tubercle.
Osteochondrosis; Knee pain - Osgood-Schlatter
Osgood-Schlatter disease is thought to be caused by small injuries to the knee area from overuse before the knee is finished growing.
The quadriceps muscle is a large, strong muscle on the front part of the upper leg. When this muscle squeezes (contracts), it straightens the knee. The quadriceps muscle is an important muscle for running, jumping, and climbing.
When the quadriceps muscle is used a lot in sports activities during a child's growth spurt, this area becomes irritated or swollen and causes pain.
It is common in adolescents who play soccer, basketball, and volleyball, and who participate in gymnastics. Osgood-Schlatter disease affects more boys than girls.
The main symptom is painful swelling over a bump on the lower leg bone (shinbone). Symptoms occur in one or both legs.
You may have leg pain or knee pain, which gets worse with running, jumping, and climbing stairs.
The area is tender to pressure, and swelling ranges from mild to severe.
Osgood-Schlatter disease will almost always go away on its own once the child stops growing.
Treatment includes:
- Resting the knee and decreasing activity when symptoms develop
- Putting ice over the painful area 2 to 4 times a day, and after activities
- Taking ibuprofen or other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), or acetaminophen (Tylenol)
In many cases, the condition will get better using these methods.
Adolescents may play sports if the activity does not cause too much pain. However, symptoms will get better faster if activity is limited. Sometimes, a child will need to take a break from most or all sports for 2 or more months.
Rarely, a cast or brace may be used to support the leg until it heals if symptoms do not go away. This most often takes 6 to 8 weeks. Crutches may be used for walking to keep weight off the painful leg.
Surgery may be needed in rare cases.
Proliance Surgeons
Grant Garcia, MD, is a board-eligible orthopedic surgeon with advanced accredited fellowship training in sports medicine and shoulder surgery. Dr. Garcia’s primary focus for his practice is sports medicine, having a great interest in returning athletes safely to their sport after shoulder, knee and elbow injuries and surgeries. During residency and fellowship, Dr. Garcia trained in numerous advanced sports procedures and techniques. These include cartilage regeneration, meniscus transplantation, multi-ligamentous knee reconstruction and complex limb realignment procedures. In addition, many minimally invasive shoulder procedures, including stemless arthroplasty, stabilization procedures, and rotator cuff revision surgery are part of his expertise. He has special elbow training in ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction and repair procedures. Dr. Garcia is also fellowship trained in orthobiologic treatments, including stem cell transplantation and PRP, to assist in these surgical procedures, as well as non-operative treatments. Dr. Garcia has authored over 50 publications found in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery and Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. He has presented more than 60 academic sports papers worldwide, in addition to authoring book chapters on advanced techniques in sports medicine. He has also published over a dozen papers on sports medicine that have been featured in ESPN.com, Orthopedics Today and AAOS Now. Dr. Garcia was an assistant team physician for the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox. During residency, he cared for players on the New York Giants, New York Mets, US Tennis Team, New York Rangers, New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets, as well as many collegiate athletes. Dr. Garcia is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Osgood-Schlatter Disease. He is also highly rated in 8 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Osteochondritis Dissecans, Osgood-Schlatter Disease, Tendinitis, Osteotomy, and Tenotomy. Dr. Garcia is board certified in American Board Of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Garcia is currently accepting new patients.
Orthopedic Physician Associates - First Hill
Dr. Seibert is an orthopedic surgeon specializing in the medical and surgical treatment of injuries, diseases and other conditions of the foot and ankle. His practice offers a wide range of the most up-to-date care for conditions of the lower extremity, from common ailments to complex foot and ankle trauma. Whether injured on the job or on the field, Dr. Seibert is focused on helping you return to the activities you enjoy. Dr. Seibert enjoys working to help heal foot and ankle conditions because of the variety the specialty provides and the opportunity to take care of both young and aging patients. Dr. Seibert is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Osgood-Schlatter Disease. He is also highly rated in 12 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Achilles Tendon Rupture, Bunions, Osteochondritis Dissecans, and Osgood-Schlatter Disease. Dr. Seibert is board certified in American Board Of Orthopaedic Surgery. Dr. Seibert is currently accepting new patients.
Ballad Health Medical Associates Associated Orthopedics
Dr. Benjamin Potter is a board-certified surgeon specializing in foot and ankle surgery, including reconstructive procedures, sports medicine, trauma, arthroscopy and total ankle replacement. He emphasizes conservative, evidence-based care and is active in minimally invasive surgery, lecturing and training other providers Dr. Potter joined Associated Orthopaedics in Kingsport after completing a surgical residency at Loyola University Medical Center. He earned his Doctor of Podiatric Medicine at Rosalind Franklin University and a bachelor's at Michigan Technological University. He is a member of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, the Tennessee Podiatric Medical Association and serves as an attending physician for the local residency program. Dr. Potter is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Osgood-Schlatter Disease. He is also highly rated in 11 other conditions, according to our data. His clinical expertise encompasses Flat Feet, Tendinitis, Metatarsalgia, and Osgood-Schlatter Disease. Dr. Potter is board certified in American Board Of Foot And Ankle Surgery.
Most cases get better on their own after a few weeks or months. Most cases go away once the child finished growing.
Contact your provider if your child has knee or leg pain, or if pain does not get better with treatment.
The small injuries that may cause this disorder often go unnoticed, so prevention may not be possible. Regular stretching, both before and after exercise and athletics, can help prevent injury.
Summary: The goal of this clinical trial is to learn if low-level laser therapy (also called photobiomodulation) works to treat knee or heel pain in physically active children and adolescents with Osgood-Schlatter disease or Sever disease. It will also learn about the safety of this treatment. The main questions it aims to answer are: 1. Does low-level laser therapy lower pain more than a sham (placebo) la...
Summary: CoRDS, or the Coordination of Rare Diseases at Sanford, is based at Sanford Research in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. It provides researchers with a centralized, international patient registry for all rare diseases. This program allows patients and researchers to connect as easily as possible to help advance treatments and cures for rare diseases. The CoRDS team works with patient advocacy groups, in...
Published Date: October 20, 2024
Published By: Neil K. Kaneshiro, MD, MHA, Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Coyle AM, Lawrence JTR. The knee. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ, et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 718.
Milewski MD, Wylie J, Nissen CW, Prokop TR. Knee injuries in skeletally immature athletes. In: Miller MD, Thompson SR, eds. DeLee, Drez, & Miller's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 5th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 137.
Sheffer BW. Osteochondrosis or epiphysitis and other miscellaneous affections. In: Azar FM, Beaty JH, eds. Campbell's Operative Orthopaedics. 14th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 32.