Osgood-Schlatter disease (also known as tibial tubercle apophyseal traction injury) is an inflammation of the growth plate at the tibial tuberosity, and is one of a group of conditions collectively called osteochondroses. The condition is named after the
American surgeon Robert Bayley Osgood (1873–1956) and the Swiss surgeon Carl Schlatter (1864–1934), who independently described the disease in 1903.
The disease is most common in active boys and
girls aged 11-15 and is usually self-limiting
Causes
The condition is caused by
stress on the patellar tendon that attaches the quadriceps muscle at the front of the thigh to the tibial tuberosity. Following an adolescent growth spurt, repeated
stress from contraction of the quadriceps is transmitted through the patellar tendon to the
immature tibial tuberosity. This can cause multiple subacute avulsion fractures along with inflammation of the tendon, leading to excess
bone growth in the tuberosity and producing a visible lump.
