Does My Child Have Osgood-Schlatter Disease?

Does your child experience knee pain?

Is there swelling just below the kneecap?

Does your child experience knee or leg pain?

Does your child experience swelling, tenderness, or increased warmth under the knee and over the shinbone?

Does the pain get worse during exercise?

Does your child limp after physical activity?

Based on your answers, it is unlikely that your child has Osgood-Schlatter disease. This disease can cause a painful, bony bump on the shinbone a little below the knee. It most often happens in children and adolescents experiencing growth spurts during puberty. It typically occurs in boys ages 12-14 and girls ages 10-13. This is because girls enter puberty earlier than do boys. Luckily, the problem usually resolves on its own from the moment the bones stop growing.

Based on your answers, your child is displaying some signs of Oswood-Schlatter disease. This issue occurs mostly in children who play sports that require running, jumping, and quick changes of direction, such as basketball, ballet, and soccer. During this type of activities, the quadriceps pull on the tendon that connects the kneecap tot the growth plate situated at the upper part of the shinbone. Repeated stress may cause the tendon to pull on the plate where the tendon inserts into the shinbone. This causes pain and swelling, and sometimes a bony lump will appear. The condition used to be more common in boys, but as more girls have started playing sports, the gender gap has narrowed.

Unfortunately, your child is displaying the symptoms typically seen among individuals who have Oswood-Schlatter disease. It may be important to take your child to the doctor for a physical exam. X-rays may be taken to examine the affected area more closely. Luckily, the disease often resolves without specific treatment as the symptoms may disappear after your child’s bones stop growing. Home remedies include resting the joint, icing the affected area, stretching the quadriceps, wearing knee caps when playing sports, and doing activities that don’t involve jumping or running until the symptoms disappear. Physical therapy may be useful as well.