What is Osgood-Schlatter Disease?
Osgood-Schlatter Disease (OSD) is a common cause of anterior knee pain in the skeletally immature sports population. Clinically, it manifests as a persistent, atraumatic anterior knee pain with tenderness at the tibial tuberosity, where the patellar tendon inserts. Sports like basketball, volleyball, sprinters, gymnastics, and football can cause the syndrome as a result of recurrent extensor mechanism stress activities like jumping and sprinting.
Symptomatic relief with ice and NSAIDs, activity adjustment and relative rest from aggravating activities, and lower extremities stretching routine to change underlying predisposing biomechanical characteristics are all included in comprehensive treatment and care.
CAUSES CAN BE:
OSD typically appears between the ages of 10 and 12 for girls and 12 to 14 for boys as their bones begin to mature. The repeated traction over the tubercle, which causes microvascular tears, fractures, and inflammation, is the underlying cause of the symptoms of swelling, pain, and discomfort.
OSD is an overuse injury that typically affects active, adolescent patients. The tibial tubercle apophysis becomes irritated and, in extreme situations, partially avulses as a result of microtrauma and repetitive strain. Poor hamstring and quadriceps flexibility and other signs of misalignment of the extensor mechanism are predisposing factors.
SIGNS & SYMPTOMS ARE:
- swelling and pain in the tibial tubercle region of the anterior knee.
- Exercises including jogging, leaping, cycling, bending over, climbing stairs, and kicking a ball cause pain to worsen.
- palpation of the tibial tuberosity causes pain.
- In some situations, the tibial tuberosity’s bony protuberance increased.
- The quadriceps are constricted.
- It hurts to perform resisted quadriceps isometrics.
- 20% to 30% of patients had bilateral symptom presentation.
PHYSIOTHERAPY MANAGEMENT OF OSGOOD-SCHLATTER DISEASE:
For pain relief
- After exercise, using ice helps to relieve anterior knee pain.
- It’s best to cut back on sports for 6–8 weeks.
- Pain can be reduced by gently stretching the quadriceps and hamstrings and by building the Vastus Medialis Oblique muscle.
- Patellar tapping and the usage of the brace both reduce patellar loading.
Exercise therapy:
So early in the conditioning program, low-intensity quadriceps-strengthening activities are introduced, such as isometric multiple-angle quadriceps exercises. Stretching the hamstrings and performing high-intensity quadriceps workouts are introduced gradually and have both been shown to be highly helpful.
To build stronger quadriceps and hamstrings, additional exercises can include leg raises, squats, and wall stretches. This aids in preventing the pain, stress, and tight muscles that cause additional injury and impede healing.
Extracorporeal shock wave therapy:
Extracorporeal Shockwave therapy is the ultra-modern treatment for Osgood-Schlatter Disease.
Other high-end modalities are:
- SIS.
- TR-therapy.
- High-intensity class 4 laser.
Electrotherapy
such as Combo therapy, Therapeutic ultrasound, etc.
Rehabilitation
In OSD rehabilitation is crucial for returning to sports activity because without proper rehabilitation there possibility of re-occurrence of the condition.
