Osgood-Schlatter (say: "oz-good shlot-ter") disease is one of the most common causes of knee pain in young athletes. During your child's adolescent growth spurt, his or her bones grow rapidly. If your child is involved in a lot of running and jumping activities during this time, he or she is at risk of developing Osgood-Schlatter disease. The condition is also referred to as tibial tuberosity apophysitis. It causes pain, swelling and tenderness just below the knee cap (tibial tuberosity), over the shin bone (also called the tibia).
Teens increase their risk for OSD if they play sports involving running, twisting, and jumping, such as basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, tennis, figure skating, and gymnastics. Doctors disagree about the mechanics that cause the injury but agree that overuse and physical stress are involved.
Other symptoms may include:
pain that worsens with exercise
relief from pain with rest
swelling or tenderness under the knee and over the shinbone
limping after exercise
tightness of the muscles surrounding the knee (the hamstring and quadriceps muscles)
Long-term consequences of OSD are usually minor. Some kids may have a permanent, painless bump below the knee. In rare cases, they may develop a painful, bony growth below the kneecap that must be surgically removed. About 60% of adults who had OSD as kids experience some pain with kneeling.
Treatment for Osgood-Schlatter Disease was abbreviated as "RICE". This stands for Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation. The PattStrap provides the proper compression below the kneecap to reduce or eliminate the pain in most cases.
Having Osgood-Schlatter disease can be frustrating, because your child may need to limit his or her running and jumping activity level for a short time. But Osgood-Schlatter disease is temporary, using the pattstrap should reduce the discomfort and as your child's bones finish growing, the pain should go away for good.
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