Sometimes as parents of an athletic child you get hit with so many aches and pains and you begin to wonder which ones are serious and which ones aren’t. Do you have a young athlete in your life? Have they ever complained of knee pain after competition or practice? They may have developed a common condition called Osgoode-Schlatters Disease, which even though it sounds scary is not really a disease at all. It is basically a function of the muscles and tendons not developing at the same speed. It is typically seen in pre-teen and teenage athletes who are involved in running and jumping sports and manifests itself as a lump or bump or bony outgrowth at the front of the knee.
Osgoode-Schlatters develops when the quadriceps muscle group pulls excessively at its attachment on the tibia. This happens easily in young people because their bones are growing at such a fast pace. The patellar tendon attaches into the tibial tuberosity, which has yet to fuse to the rest of the tibia. As the quads contract they pull the tuberosity away at the growth plate causing a lot of pain.
The good news is Osgoode-Schlatters will not last forever! It can occur on an off throughout puberty but typically lasts 12-24 months. If your child has been diagnosed with Osgoode- Schlatters your best approach is physiotherapy, taping or bracing, cushioned custom orthotics and supportive sports specific footwear.
Shannon White, Certified Pedorthist. C.Ped ( c ) Milton Orthotic & Wellness Centre
