Morbus Osgood Schlatter is a disease of the knee joint. It is a non-infectious inflammation of the roughness of the tibia, the tibial tuberosity. It results in a lack of ossification and inflammation with tissue loss.
One speaks of aseptic osteochondrosis. The disease usually occurs in childhood or adolescence between the ages of 10 and 15. Boys are more frequently affected than girls. In most cases, therapy can be conservative.
Symptoms
The symptoms of Osgood Schlatter’s disease manifest themselves in a painful pressure on the bony prominence of the tibia, the area may be heated and reddened. The leg‘s ability to bear weight and the mobility of the knee joint may be limited. Swelling may occur. Children and adolescents complain of pain, especially under stress.
Causes
The causes for the development of Osgood Schlatter’s disease are not fully understood. It is suspected that the tissue is overloaded. This may be due to a lack of tissue resilience or mechanical overloading, e.g. as a result of sports.
In some cases, the origin of the disease cannot be explained. So-called growth joints still exist in young bones, and the overloading of the tissue can lead to ossification disorders (ossification) and inflammation, especially during growth spurts. Especially the traction of the M. quadriceps femoris, which is inserted via the patella tendon exactly at the tibial tuberosity, can put mechanical stress on the region.
Morbus Osgood Schlatter in adults
In adulthood, growth disturbances at the growth joints can no longer occur, as these are already closed and ossified. Schlatter’s disease can therefore no longer occur in adulthood in this sense. Pain in the area of the tibial tuberosity is usually caused by other causes, such as patellar tip syndrome or retropatellar pain syndrome.
Adults who suffered from Osgood Schlatter’s disease in their youth may, however, suffer from possible consequences of the disease if it has not been completely cured at that time. For example, a pressure dolent elevation at the tibia may have remained roughened, and the load-bearing capacity of the patella tendon may have changed, so that pain may occur here in the insertion area under heavy load. The bursa may also cause problems if it was not removed during a previous operation. You can find exercises for the patellar tendon syndrome here: Exercises for Patellar Tip Syndrome
