by Leonard Konis

Created on: December 15, 2006   Last Updated: April 18, 2007

Children at young ages are getting more involved in playing specific sports. Kids are developing sport injuries, which had been previously seen in adults. During the past 10 to 20 years, injuries among children playing sports have increased eight - fold. Common cause of knee pain in young athletes is Osgood - Schlatter disease (OSD, Bone infarction, ischemic necrosis or osteochondrosis). In 1903, originally described simultaneously by US orthopedic surgeon Robert Osgood and Swiss surgeon Carl Schlatter. It causes swelling, pain, and tenderness as result of an enlarge bump (tibial tuberosity) of the Shin Bone (tibia) just below the knee. Upon observation, bony enlargement at the top of the Shin Bone, measuring about two centimeters. This bump may persist to some degree, throughout a child's life, but isn't a cause of concern. It won't interfere with knee function. The disease occurs mostly in boys, 13 to 14 years old and girls 10 to 11 years old, when the bones are typically growing faster than the muscles and tendons or growth spurt years of adolescent (Common form of growing pains or overuse in early adolescence involves the Shin Bone and the knee). Twenty to thirty percent of cases affect both knees. Mechanically Osgood - Schlatter disease occurs from the pull of the large strong muscles in the front of the thigh (quadriceps). The quadriceps join with the patellar tendons (Quadriceps tendon and patellar tendon are thick fibrous tissues. The tendons do not expand and contract. They are strong tissues, performing to transmit the pulling force of the quadriceps muscle), which run through the knee and into the tibia, connecting the muscles to the knee. When quadriceps contract, the patellar tendons can start pulling away from the Shin Bone, causing pain. The problem has been seen in young athletes, who play football, soccer, basketball, and children performing gymnastics or ballet. When a child stops growing, Osgood - Schlatter disease will usually stop affecting the child, noticeable pain and swelling go away, because petellar tendons become much stronger. The disease may continue for two or three years. Rarely this disease will continue beyond the growing stage of a child or beyond puberty. Examination of the knee and x- ray taken by a doctor, will either confirm the diagnosis of this disease or the pain attributed to some other cause.

Treating Osgood Schlatter disease involve simple and easy solutions. Reducing time spent playing until the pain has been gone

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