Osgood-Schlatter disease
Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common cause of knee pain in athletic adolescents. It typically develops during growth spurts, when repeated stress from the patellar tendon on the tibial tuberosity causes painful irritation just below the kneecap. This pain is often aggravated by running, jumping, changing direction, squatting, or kneeling.
At PhysioUnion, we offer pediatric and sports physiotherapy for children and adolescents with anterior knee pain consistent with Osgood-Schlatter disease. The goal is to reduce pain, adapt sporting activities, improve flexibility and muscle strength, and then support a gradual return to sports. This approach aligns with standard conservative management recommendations.
What is Osgood-Schlatter disease?
Osgood-Schlatter disease is a growth-related condition that affects the area where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia. During growth spurts, bones, muscles, and tendons develop rapidly. In active teenagers, repetitive sports movements can increase stress on this area and cause localized pain, sometimes accompanied by a small swelling or a more noticeable bump below the knee.
This condition mainly affects young people who participate in sports involving running, jumping, or changes of direction, such as football, basketball, athletics, dance, or gymnastics. It can affect one knee or sometimes both.
Common symptoms
The most common symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease are:
pain below the kneecap, at the level of the tibial tuberosity
increased pain during or after exercise
discomfort when running, jumping, squatting, climbing stairs or kneeling
sensitivity to palpation of the painful area
sometimes a local swelling or a more pronounced bump below the knee
sometimes a feeling of stiffness in the quadriceps or hamstrings.
The diagnosis is primarily clinical. Medical examination and functional assessment are often sufficient, and X-rays or other imaging examinations are not always necessary as a first step.
When to consult a doctor?
It is advisable to consult a doctor if a child or adolescent experiences persistent knee pain, especially if the pain recurs after sports, is accompanied by limping, localized swelling, or limits participation in training. An evaluation is also important if the pain occurs at rest, becomes very intense, or if the symptoms do not correspond to a typical progression.
Evolution
Osgood-Schlatter disease generally has a favorable prognosis. In most adolescents, symptoms gradually decrease with activity modifications, flexibility and strengthening exercises, and then improve once growth is complete. A small bump below the knee may sometimes persist, even after the pain has disappeared.
Care provided by PhysioUnion
At the PhysioUnion clinic in Prilly, near Lausanne, we offer individualized treatment for knee pain in adolescents, particularly in cases of Osgood-Schlatter disease, Sever's disease, scoliosis, or other pediatric sports physiotherapy issues. Sessions are tailored to the young patient's age, athletic level, goals, and clinical progress. The aim is to achieve a more comfortable, gradual, and sustainable return to sports.
