Your knee is a complex joint with many parts. These parts work together to give you the flexibility and motion needed for walking, running, and jumping. But with Osgood-Schlatter disease, knee pain can leave you on the sidelines. Osgood-Schlatter disease is an overuse injury that affects children and adolescents who play sports. It occurs more frequently in athletes who participate in sports that involve running and jumping, including:
-
Basketball
-
Volleyball
-
Sprinting
-
Gymnastics
-
Football
A knee with Osgood-Schlatter disease
When your leg moves, the thigh muscle pulls the kneecap. Next, the kneecap pulls a tough band of connective tissue. This tissue then pulls on a bony area at the top of your shinbone.
In some kids, all that pulling can cause Osgood-Schlatter disease. This causes pain and often swelling on the front of the knee.
The symptoms may limit your activities. This is because the pulling happens in an area of the bone that’s still growing. As a rule, growing parts of a bone are weaker than other parts. This makes the growing area more likely to get injured.
Find the Right Orthopedic & Sports Medicine Specialist for You
BLANCHARD VALLEY HEALTH SYSTEM
Ortho LinkRelated Articles
Joint Dislocation
You have a joint dislocation. This happens when a strong force is applied to the joint, tearing ligaments and forcing the bones out of place. Often no bones are broken. But the nearby nerves and blood vessels can be damaged.
Lower Extremity Bruise
A bruise (contusion) of a lower extremity can cause pain, swelling, and skin color changes. Learn about home care for the bruise as it heals.
Foot drop
Foot drop is a disorder that makes it hard to raise the foot at the ankle. There may also be pain, weakness and numbness in the foot.
Understanding Ankle Sprain
When ankle ligaments are stretched to the point of pain and injury, it's called an ankle sprain. A sprain can tear the ligaments. These tears can be very small but still cause pain.