Morbus Osgood-Schlatter is a bone disease affecting the shin bone. The bony tissue gradually dissolves at the point where the ligament that attaches the kneecap to the upper part of the shin bone. In the course of the disease it is possible that whole bone parts become detached and remain in the knee joint as foreign bodies; these are called free joint bodies.
Osgood-Schlatter’s disease is characterized by pain below the kneecap, which is triggered by the regression of the bone. The pain mainly occurs during physical exertion and decreases again when the knee is spared. Pressure exerted on the affected knee also causes pain.
Mostly children and adolescents between the ages of nine and 16 who are very active in sports have this disease, with boys being affected about ten times more frequently. For the very reason that children are often affected, attempts are made to treat the disease with conservative therapy. This means that no surgical intervention is performed. The body of the children and adolescents is still in the growth phase and the bones are also growing. It should be tried not to disturb this bone growth by surgery.
Requirements
An operation is only necessary and recommended in very rare cases. If previous therapeutic approaches such as immobilization, ointments, bandages or anti-inflammatory painkillers have been unsuccessful, this option can be considered. Even if the symptoms recur despite therapy, i.e. if Osgood-Schlatter’s disease is chronic, surgery may be considered.
A prerequisite for surgical therapy is that skeletal growth has been completed. Children and adolescents are treated without surgery until they are fully grown. Surgical therapy is necessary if there are free bone parts in the knee joint that are the cause of the pain.
In order to detect this, X-ray, CT or MRI images must be available. In addition, bone regression can lead to bone pulling out of the tibia. The upper edge of the bone is then no longer smooth, but shows irregularities that can cause irritation and pain when the tendons and ligaments are rubbed.
