Osgood-Schlatter Disease Treatment

Osgood-Schatter disease is a painful condition affecting the front of the knee. The quadriceps is the muscle at the front of the thigh that becomes the patella tendon before inserting onto the tibial tuberosity, a bony prominence at the top and front of the shin. This condition is caused by an overload of traction at this attachment point, which in the immature skeleton of children and adolescents, becomes inflamed and painful. The bony prominence becomes enlarged and will be painful to touch, kneel on and when using the quadriceps muscle for sports, or any actions like running, jumping or kicking.

Acute Management

Part of the acute management for Osgood-Schllatter disease is muscle relaxation and lengthening. The later stages of exercises are detailed in our related article: Osgood-Schlatter Disease Physical Therapy. This can be done in several ways, including manual massage, foam rolling, using massage guns, or stretching. Massage, while a more costly option is a thorough way of working through the whole muscle to relax it. A similar effect can be achieved with thorough foam rolling and using massage guns. Stretching is the most easily accessible and affordable option for acute treatment. It can be done frequently throughout the day by the individual and will often be advised to be done in adjunct with other treatments to relax the muscle.

Prognosis

In approximately 90% of cases, Osgood-Schlatter disease will fully recover, with the correct rest and management. Otherwise, Osgood-Schlatter disease can be self-healing when the tibial growth plate closes and the skeleton is matured, this is because the bones harden and are no longer irritated by the traction forces of the patella tendon. In about 10% of cases, pain continues through into adulthood (Gholve et al, 2007).