Adolescent Athlete Knee Pain, is it Osgood-Schlatter Disease?
Osgood-Schlatter is a painful disease that occurs on the tibial tubercule, which is right under the knee on the upper portion of the shinbone on adolescent’s who are going through growth spurts. Physicians believe that it is caused by small, but frequent injuries to an area of the body that is a already under great stress from growing. The quadriceps muscle is one of the primary muscles used for running, jumping, and climbing. When it is overused, the quadriceps can become inflamed, swollen, and very painful. In Osgood-Schlatter Disease cases this swelling occurs on the tibial tubercule.
Symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter Disease
There are some specific warning signs of Osgood Schlatter Disease to watch for, including:
- Swelling on the bump right below the knee
- Pain or tenderness around the knee
- Pain in one or both legs
- Running, jumping and climbing may cause increased pain
- Mild to sever swelling
