Osgood-Schlatter disease is osteochondropathy of the tibial tuberosity. This pathology is characterized by localized pain. Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs predominantly in teenage boys. Doctors believe that this disease is partially due to the pulling, repeatedly repeated pressure of the tendon in the popliteal cup, which moves away from the powerful front muscle group of the thigh.
Most often, Schlatter's disease occurs in boys aged 9 to 14 - 18 years. This process affects one leg more often, less often both.
There is a risk group that includes children who are intensely involved in the following sports: wrestling, football, hockey, aerobics, weightlifting and other traumatic sports.
Osgood-Schlatter disease is characterized by symptoms such as:
• Pain in the knee when walking, squats, pressure, physical exertion
• Swelling of the knee (sometimes due to injury)
• Local soreness of the lower knee
• Knee swelling and discomfort in this area
• There may be acute pain in the anterior part where the tendon of the patella attaches to the tibia.
The disease occurs gradually, patients rarely indicate injury as a trigger factor. For a long time, the only symptom that Osgood-Schlatter disease manifests itself may be pain in the knee joint when climbing stairs, when it is bent or moving. There are no general, laboratory and clinical signs of the disease.
After increased physical exertion on the quadriceps muscle (football, squats, etc.), a swelling occurs in the tuberosity of the tibia. There is pain during squats, running and even walking. At rest, the pain passes. The temperature of this area does not rise. The contours of the tuberosity are smoothed out due to the appearance of swelling, there is a local pain during palpation. An exacerbation of it in this area occurs with active extension of the lower leg, especially with little resistance. With the growth of the child, this contour becomes more pronounced, embossed and its dimensions increase.
Osgood-Schlatter disease is diagnosed clinically, since the symptoms of this pathology are typical. An X-ray study is sometimes performed to determine the extent of changes at the site of attachment of the patellar tendon. On the roentgenogram, fragmentation or rarefaction of the trunk of the process is determined. Ossification of tuberosity is individual, which often complicates X-ray diagnostics: the clinic is the main indicator to correctly diagnose Osgood-Schlatter disease.
The treatment of this pathology consists of the following components:
• Immobilization and maximum limb rest
• Reduced physical activity to a minimum
• Electrophoresis with calcium and procaine
• Physiotherapy exercises and massage
• Sanatorium treatment
• Paraffin and mud baths.
Patients with this disease are helped by painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs, rest and ice. Over time, this disease usually disappears (immediately after stopping the growth of the tibia). Patients are assigned peace, for which rear plaster tires, removable splints are used; quartz and bath are recommended.
In some patients who have suffered this disease, subsequently there are "pineal" swelling on the front of the knee. Physiotherapy is indicated for their treatment, much less often they are removed surgically - the affected areas are removed with fixation with a bone allograft. Surgical treatment (removal of necrotic foci) is indicated only in extremely rare cases.
The prognosis for Schlatter's disease is favorable.