Soccer Child With Knee Pain: IT CAN BE OSGOOD-SCHLATTER DISEASE

OSGOOD-SCHLATTER DISEASE

Name looks quite scary, isn't it!!

Truly speaking its very common in Bangalore especially in growing adolescents with vigorous sporting activity and its NOT A BIG DEAL.  

Osgood-Schlatter disease: Its a repetitive stress injury leading to inflammation of the area just below the knee where the tendon from the kneecap (patellar tendon) attaches to the shinbone (tibia).

It's quite common to see in the soccer players, runners and the jumping sports activities. 

It happens mostly due to growing bones and also sometimes due to improper warm-up, not doing flexibility exercises. 

Children usually represent with pain just below the knee, swollen area and inability to play and run. Its start slow and gradually and with few days or week it becomes bad disabling to continue sports if the appropriate action is not done. Over a period of time thigh muscles start developing weakness results in poor performance, balance, coordination, and pain become dominant. 

Some time X-ray may represent like a minor fracture, but in reality, it's not a fracture.

It's a growing bone which is getting repetitive tensile stress from the thigh muscles (called the quadriceps) and patella tendons. 

Osgood-Schlatter disease needs special care from Sports Physiotherapist or the doctor. 

Initially, Physio needs to off-load the tibial tubercle and patellar tendon by any external forces may be by taping.  Off-loading to reduce repetitive tensile stress and allow relative rest to the painful area while continuing graded physical activity. 

Following that, Physical rehabilitation to achieve muscular flexibility, strength, Proprioception and Balance, coordination and agility.

Most crucial to remember in growing adolescents bones are fragile and it does not need plyometric training. 

Thank you 

Dr. Arun Kumar Rawal, PT

Musculo-Skeletal & Sports Physiotherapist

+91-9986855650