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Symptoms
By Mayo Clinic staffSigns and symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease include:
- Pain, swelling and tenderness at the bony prominence on the upper shinbone, just below the kneecap
- Knee pain that worsens with activity — especially running, jumping and climbing stairs — and improves with rest
- Tightness of the surrounding muscles, especially the thigh muscles (quadriceps)
The pain varies from person to person. Some have only mild pain while performing certain activities, especially running and jumping. For others, the pain is nearly constant and debilitating. Osgood-Schlatter disease usually occurs in just one knee, but sometimes it develops in both knees. The discomfort can last from weeks to months and may recur until your child has stopped growing.
When to see a doctor
If your child has knee pain, try self-care measures first, such as icing the affected area and temporarily reducing or avoiding activities that trigger your child's symptoms.
Call your child's doctor if the pain:
- Continues or worsens
- Interferes with your child's ability to perform routine daily activities
- Is associated with swelling or redness about the joint
- Is associated with fever
- Moutzouros V, et al. Osteochondroses. In. DeLee JC, et al. DeLee and Drez's Orthopaedic Sports Medicine. 3rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2009. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1111724571&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..00022-1--sc2&isbn=978-1-4160-3143-7&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-3143-7..00022-1--s0125&uniqId=234606866-3. Accessed Feb. 1, 2011.
- Mercier LR. Osgood-Schlatter disease. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2011: Instant Diagnosis and Treatment. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby Elsevier; 2011. http://www.mdconsult.com/books/page.do?sid=1111724571&eid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00024-X--sc0055&isbn=978-0-323-05610-6&type=bookPage§ionEid=4-u1.0-B978-0-323-05610-6..00024-X--sc0055&uniqId=234606866-3. Accessed Feb. 1, 2011.
- Kienstra AJ, et al. Osgood-Schlatter disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Feb. 1, 2011.
- Chang-Miller A (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Feb. 6, 2011.
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