Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is swelling and irritation of the growth plate at the top of the shinbone. A growth plate is a layer of cartilage near the end of ...[SkiptoContent]FindcareatNemoursChildren'sHealthDoctorsLocationsSharetoFacebookSharetoTwitterSharetoPinterestShareviaEmailKidsHealth/ForTeens/Osgood-SchlatterDiseaseOsgood-SchlatterDiseaseReviewedby:AlvinWei-iSu,MDListenPlayStop Volume mp3SettingsClosePlayerLargertextsizeLargetextsizeRegulartextsizePrintenespañolEnfermedaddeOsgood-SchlatterWhatIsOsgood-SchlatterDisease?Osgood-Schlatterdisease(OSD)isswellingandirritationofthegrowthplateatthetopoftheshinbone.Agrowthplateisalayerofcartilageneartheendofabonewheremostofthebone'sgrowthhappens.Itisweakerandmoreatriskforinjurythantherestofthebone.OSDgoesawaywhenapersonstopsgrowingandusuallydoesn'tcauselastingproblems.WhatAretheSigns&SymptomsofOsgood-SchlatterDisease?OSDtypicallycausespainandswellingbelowthekneecap.Thepainusuallygetsworsewithrunning,jumping,goingupstairs,andwalkinguphills.Severepainmayleadtolimping.OSDcanhappeninoneorbothknees.WhatCausesOsgood-SchlatterDisease?Osgood-Schlatterdiseasehappensduringthegrowthspurtofpuberty,whenthebones,muscles,andtendonsgrowatdifferentrates.InOSD,thetendonthatconnectstheshinbonetothekneecappullsonthegrowthplateatthetopoftheshinbone.Activitiesandsportscausethistohappenoverandover,whichcausesinjurytothegrowthplate.ThisinjuryleadstothepainofOSD.WhoGetsOsgood-SchlatterDisease?OSDusuallyhappensinkidsandteenswhoare:intheirgrowthspurt(usuallyaround9–14yearsold)activeinsportsoractivitiesthatinvolvealotofrunningorjumpingOSDisanoveruseinjury.Thismeansithappenswhensomeonedoesthesamemovementsoverandoveragain.HowIsOsgood-SchlatterDiseaseDiagnosed?TodiagnoseOsgood-Schlatterdisease,healthcareproviders:askaboutphysicalactivitiesdoanexamUsuallynotestingisneeded.SometimesthehealthcareproviderordersanX-raytocheckforotherkneeproblems.HowIsOsgood-SchlatterDiseaseTreated?SomeonewithOsgood-Schlatterdiseaseneedstolimitactivitiesthatcausepain