189k views
2 votes
Describe the Osgood-Schlatter condition. Why is it common to adolescents?

User Chx
by
4.5k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Answer:

Osgood-Schlatter condition is an injury caused by excessive use that affects the knee of children and adolescents.

Step-by-step explanation:

Osgood-Schlatter condition is an injury caused by excessive use that affects the knee of children and adolescents. It occurs during the period of growth in adolescents and more often to those who participate in sports.

It is estimated that one in five children who participate in sports will experience this condition and is the most common cause of knee pain in adolescents.

The stress of running, jumping, and other activities causes the tendon from the knee bone to the shin bone to pull, resulting in the condition.

Sports that require the participant to suddenly change their direction, such as football, basketball or ballet dancing, are the most likely to cause the disease. Other sports that usually give rise to the disease are football, volleyball and figure skating.

Many children diagnosed with Osgood Schlatter disease have a history of trauma to the knee area within the past two years. More boys develop Osgood Schlatter disease than girls. This is only because children are more likely to be involved in sports.

Female athletes are the same odds as male athletes to develop the condition. Osgood Schlatter disease usually affects boys in about 13 years and 11-year-old girls.

In addition to a lump just below the patella, symptoms include pain under the patella, with pain being worse when the child is active.

The pain can be mild or severe, but it is most often in a single knee. It can disappear but reappear from time to time. There may be inflammation under the kneecap and above the shin. The child can also limp after the activity.

In most cases, the condition resolves once bone growth has stopped, usually within one or two years of the onset of symptoms.

Treatment during adolescence usually includes the application of ice and over-the-counter medications for pain and swelling. In some cases, physical therapy may also be recommended.

It is often recommended that children do not participate in sports, while pain is active and that they take a break from sports when there is a recurrence of pain.

If the disease is severe, the child's doctor may recommend the use of a knee immobilizer for a period of time.

Osgood Schlatter disease cannot always be prevented, but certain steps can help.

User Dolfa
by
5.0k points