osgood schlattera

Does anyone out there no of a cure for osgood schlatters disease? iv had it for a while and its causing a stop to my running. is there anythink i can do? doctors say rest for 3 months but thats rediculus!! anyone...?

Hi Tom
As you have probably been told already OSD tends to improve with time and most treatments are aimed at easing the symptoms while the body heals itself.
I'm sure you are already using ice, an elastic support and an appropriate anti-inflamatory preparation.
The next step is to discuss with your GP or physio. Strengthening the quad muscles seems to help (helps most knee conditions) and a physio may be able to show you some taping techniques that allow some exercise.
If that doesn't work ask your GP about an orthopaedic or sports medicine referral. Some specialists recommend wearing a plaster cast for 6 weeks to allow the inflamed area to heal. Some surgeons will operate on the tubercle but this depends on the x-ray findings and how long you've had the problem.
I think the operation is more common in the USA but then most ops are.

Sticking Osgood-schlatter into google will bring up about 8000 pages so there is plenty of info out there.
http://www.physsportsmed.com/issues/1998/03mar/wall_pa.htm
looks reasonable.

Good luck with it.

How old you Tom?
True Osgood-Schlatters usually affects growing adolescent boys. Consensus now for this condition seems to be infact not to rest,
Jumping and sudden stops may aggrevate symptoms, other activities ok.

You might have pain in the area where people with Osgood Schlatters also hurt, but for a different reason.

I would press for Xray, physio, and early referral to sports specialist (er if at all possible)

Tom,
I had OSD as a boy at Secondary school and I was not allowed to kick a ball or anything for weeks and weeks. I had it to the point that my knees would completely give way if I stepped off a kerb wrongly. My knees recovered OK but I now have a nice lump beow each knee-cap as a souvenir. Things change and I would (as advised) get some specialist advice. But be sure, if that advice is rest, then please rest. It seems like an eternity but don't wreck your knees for the sake of a few weeks.

I support view above that is usually found in adolescent males.
My be patellar tendonitid/other condition you have. As other docs as said rest/ice are key steps really.
Seek an expert opinion depending on how keen you are to rest few weeks and see !

just seen this thread. my son has recently been diagnosed and a specialist told us if it gets too painful just rest. otherwise keep going. nothing else to be done. he was x rayed. problem is he plays in a successful rugby team (well as sucessful as a team can be in Scotland) his mum had it at the same age and was in a plaster for 6 weeks and it cured it. recent ideas seem not to favour this type of sction.

Oops - I had it as a teenager and so has my daughter (aged 9)

Really severe with her

HARD SURFACES are a KILLER - try grass etc

MiniSS has found Ice not good - makes it much worse - which sort of makes sense as its caused by the tendons not growing fast enough and pulling off the bone attachment - so need to increase blood flow to the tendons (which have poor blood supply) - hot water bottle at night better!

My Boy of 13 years hads Osgood schatters, and we tok him to see Clifton Bradeley, the 'Running Podiatrist'. He used to run internationally and loads of runners recommended him. I found him in the back of Runners World magazine. Daniel is now ok after three months of treatment.

:-)

Beany 2 - what sort of treatment ? My physio said it couldn't be treated ..(mind you I don't rate physios as a 'breed'!)

I suffered with this as a teenager (about 15/16 I guess) and had a treatment which fixed it completely within a few days. Injections of Cortisone, directly into the knee (I kid you not...) was quite painful, but well worth it !

I was diagnosed with Osgood Schlatters Disease when I was 17 years old. I have tried everything from Physio, to Chrio, to Acupuncture, to Massage. I've also tried supplements. I'm now 20. I joined the College running team when I was 17 & was running up to 30Km a week. I did this for a year, and had to quit because of the pain. I took it easy for a couple years, and tryed running short distances the last couple months. I thought this would of healed by now? How long will I have to put up with this? I've been told by everyone I'll grow out of it. Will I ever be able to run again? Can I have surgury to fix this? (I have a fair sized bump just below the knee) which I'm afraid of getting bigger. Does anyone have the answer?

I was about 11 years old when I was Diagnosed with Osgood Schlatters Disease, although I suspect I've had it much long. I'm 23 now and still have problems with my knees. From the ages of 11 - 15 i was monitored closley by the school doctor as I had a growing spurt that caused concern. I'm 6'5" now and well built but my knees still cause me pain, usually when i contract my quads. People say to me "you'll gorw out of it" or "just ignore it" but the fact is it damn well hurts like hell somedays. Ive been on painkillers, used ice packs, had cortisone injections (which i nearly whacked the doctor for, it felt as if he put the needle through my knee cap) but none have helped. I am soon to begin my instructors traning for a community self defence club. I was lucky to find this club as unlike most martial arts it allows anyone to take part regardless of any physical problems. This club has helped me alot as over the last 5 years of traning i have been able to slowly and safely increase my muscles strength around my knee and thus allowing my knee to take more weight without pain.

The follow are the things i do to keep the pain at minimum level.

Try to sleep with the leg stretched fully out, if i was to bend a leg i lie on my side where the bed can support the shifting weight.

Never sit in the back of a car where you can't strech the leg out. Sitting like this for 2 hours on a long trip and then standing up just causes my knee to collapse.

I was told by my doctor to keep up my diary products intake for the calcium. This actually seems to work as if i have periods of not eat or drinking diary products the pain seems to get worse.

Everyday try to get in some light form of excersie, for example walking the dog, just something to keep the knee going. I find that if i sit around all day the next day I pay for it.

Light streching of the leg muscles seems to help too. As my flexibilty has increased i have found the pulling pain on my knee joint has decreased.

i also suffered from this when i was about 16 and was awfully painful. I did grow out of it though and still have the lump to prove it, makes life hard when kneeling but works ok for running.
When i went to the doctors about it years ago, they told me an old fashioned cure was to whack it with the bible and all would go away!!!! Don't recommend you try this though!

Hello all. I can remember having this very painful bump under my knee and in the 4/5 grades not being able to kneel down very well in gym class. Nothing was ever done and when I was 15 or so, noticed that my father had a bump on each knee and asked him if his were painful? Well at some point in his life he learned to kneel on the upper part of his knee and I tried and am not able to do this. My younger brother has a bump on his knee and his is painful, he is 26. My fathers brother, my uncle has one bump. I don't know if my grandfather had one but is this something that runs in families??
When I was in my middle 20's or so I went to a doctor about the pain in my knee and he had the nerve to tell me that I got this bump from "scrubbing floors" that is was called "Old Maids Knee". Can you believe this??? When was the name OSD given to this condition?? I'm now in my late 30's and have many problems with my knee. Oh yeah, I am a girl and I have never seen anyone other than my family members with this condition, good to see it's not just my family, although I don't wish the pain on any other people. Thanks for any info

Had it at school, got me off PE for a term. Now 44 and right knee running on borrowed time, left is fine, or seems so.

I ignored it as it didn't hurt but was not remotely sporty.

Doesn't help you now, but unless I am unusual, assume no long term effects which may help your future, anyway.

Good luck.

I was Diagnosed with Osgood Schlatters Disease when I was 11years and thought I was very lucky not to do PE for most of my school days. They were going to plaster my legs up but my mum wouldn't let them. bless!!
I now have two lovely lumps on my knees, which I can say have given me pain most of my life I'm now 43. I have an active life climbing, skiing, cycling and just started running after 30years. Typing this today I'm think I must be mad... but I will see how I go.
It just takes a little longer to recover. I still don't think there is anything they can do... but rest. One site said the lumps needed to be knocked off, but I think this is only for cosmetic reasons.

Sorry Gavin I think we have this for life!!
Good Luck

Are these the lumps about 2-3 inches below the centre of the kneecap?

Yes they are... makes it a nightmare to kneel

Well I never! I was diagnosed with OSD in junior school and have had funny lumps ever since but never put the two together! I thought I was just odd (well I am, but for other reaons). I spent most of a year being excused PE and swimming and being allowed to sit on chairs while classmates sat on floor. Seems to have worked though as I never have any real probs with knees. Get a bit sore from time to time along with rest of body but I'm sure that's called getting olderitis.

Coo, well I never, wondered why I hated kneeling. I remember feeling a bit cool at school coz I had a disease named after Peter Osgood.