What Is Osgood Schlatter Disease? A Guide to Knee Growing Pains

Osgood Schlatter Disease is one of the most common knee conditions affecting active children and teenagers, yet many parents have never heard of it until their own child is diagnosed. This guide will walk you through everything you need to know: what Osgood Schlatter is, why it happens, how it's diagnosed, and most importantly—what you can do about it.

If you or your child is struggling with knee pains below their knee cap then you're in the right place.

Understanding Osgood Schlatter Disease

Osgood Schlatter Disease (also just OSD, Osgood Schlatters, or just Osgood) is a growth-related overuse injury that causes pain and swelling just below the kneecap, at the top of the shin bone.

Despite its name, it's not actually a "disease" in the traditional sense—it's a stress injury that occurs when growing bones outpace the muscles' ability to adapt.

The condition affects the tibial tuberosity, which is the bony bump at the top of the shin bone (tibia) where the patellar tendon attaches. This is the exact spot where your child will point when they say their knee hurts.

Osgood Schlatter typically appears during periods of rapid growth, most commonly affecting:

• Girls aged 10-15 years
• Boys aged 12-17 years
• Active athletes in sports involving running, jumping, and quick direction changes

The condition is incredibly common, affecting approximately 12% of active young athletes. It's particularly prevalent in basketball, soccer, volleyball, tennis, dance, gymnastics, and track athletes—any sport with hard surfaces, lots of impact, running and jumping or repetitive knee stress.

What Actually Happens in an Osgood Knee

To understand what Osgood Schlatter is, you need to understand what's happening mechanically in your child's growing body.

During the adolescent growth spurt, bones grow rapidly—sometimes several inches in just a few months. The problem is that muscles and tendons don't adapt and can't keep up with the rapid bones growth. This creates a length-tension mismatch.

Here's what happens:

1. The femur (thigh bone) grows rapidly during a growth spurt
2. The quadriceps muscle struggles to keep up with this bone growth, becoming tighter relatively to the athletes new extra bone length
3. The tight quadriceps pulls on the patellar tendon with every step, jump, and movement
4. This tendon attaches to the tibial tuberosity—a growth plate that's still partly cartilage in teenagers
5. Repeated activity creates pulling on the tendon insertion point causing inflammation and micro-damage at this vulnerable attachment site
6. The body responds by laying down extra bone, creating the characteristic Osgood bump
7. Pain develops from the ongoing stress and inflammation

The growth plate at this attachment site is particularly vulnerable to pain and injury for two reasons.

1. The growth plate is not fully ossified (hardened into solid bone) in teenagers As the growth plates are still open, it remains partly cartilage to allow for continued growth, making it more susceptible to stress and injury than fully mature bone would be.
2. The knees take a particularly hard beating during sports. Sprinting, jumping, landing, cutting they all put a lot of forces and stress through the knees making Osgood the most common growth injury. Sever's Disease is a similar condition that affects the achilles and heels in a similar way

Who Gets Osgood Schlatter Disease?

Osgood Schlatter doesn't affect all young athletes equally. Certain factors increase risk:

Age and Growth:

• Peak incidence during rapid growth spurts
• Girls: typically ages 10-13 (earlier growth spurts)
• Boys: typically ages 12-15 (later growth spurts)
• Taller children who grow quickly are at higher risk

Activity Level:

Osgood is more common in athletes playing year-round sports

• Higher incidence in sports requiring explosive movements:
  • Basketball (jumping, landing, quick stops)
  • Soccer (sprinting, kicking, sudden direction changes)
  • Volleyball (repeated jumping)
  • Tennis (lunging, quick movements)
  • Track and field (sprinting, jumping)
  • Dance and gymnastics (landing impact)
  • Football (running, cutting)

Physical Factors:

• Weak hip and glute muscles (forces quads to overwork)
• Poor movement patterns (knee-dominant instead of hip-dominant)
• Muscle inflexibility
• Previous knee injuries

Training Factors:

• High training volumes (multiple teams, year-round seasons)
• Hard playing surfaces (concrete, hardwood)
• Sudden increases in training intensity
• Inadequate recovery time between activities

Interestingly, Osgood Schlatter is slightly more common in boys than girls, though this may be due to boys typically participating in high-impact sports at higher rates during their peak growth years. There seems to be a common pattern of persistent Osgood Schlatter Disease in adults too, for those who never managed to get over their pain as teens.

How to Pronounce Osgood Schlatter

Before we go further, let's address the elephant in the room: how do you actually say "Osgood Schlatter"?

Phonetic pronunciation: OZ-good SHLAT-ter

Break it down:

• Osgood = OZ (as in the Wizard of Oz) + GOOD (rhymes with "wood")
• Schlatter = SHLOT (like "schlep" + "hot") + TER

Some people say "SHLAT-ter" (rhyming with "atter"), while others say "SHLOT-ter" (with a shorter 'o' sound). Both pronunciations are commonly accepted in medical settings. In this video I do my best to pronuounce Osgood as it should be said with a SCHLATTER - most common in Australia, the UK and the US.

Other names you might hear for the same condition:

• Osgood-Schlatter Disease (with hyphen)
• OSD (abbreviation)
• Osgood Schlatters (informal plural)
• Osgood (shortest abbreviation)
• Traction apophysitis (medical term)
• Patellar tendon apophysitis (descriptive medical term)
• "Growing pains in the knee" (colloquial, though technically imprecise)

Why Is It Called "Osgood Schlatter Disease"?

Like many medical conditions, Osgood Schlatter Disease is named after the physicians who first identified and described it. But this one has an interesting twist—it was discovered independently by two different doctors, on opposite sides of the world, in the same year!

The Osgood Origin Story:

In 1903, two surgeons working completely independently made the same medical discovery:

‍

Dr. Robert Bayley Osgood (1873-1956)
An American orthopedic surgeon based in Boston, Massachusetts, Dr. Osgood published his findings describing a painful knee condition affecting adolescent athletes. He documented the characteristic pain at the tibial tuberosity and its association with rapid growth.

‍

Dr. Carl B. Schlatter (1864-1934)
A Swiss surgeon working in Zurich, Dr. Schlatter published his own description of the same condition just months apart from Dr. Osgood. He independently documented the same clinical presentation and identified it as a growth-related injury.

Because both physicians made the discovery simultaneously and neither had knowledge of the other's work, the medical community honored both by combining their names. Hence: Osgood-Schlatter Disease.

This dual naming is relatively common in medical terminology when multiple researchers independently discover the same condition around the same time. Other examples include Dupuytren-Leriche syndrome and Weber-Christian disease.

The Original Medical Term:

Before it was called Osgood Schlatter Disease, this condition was described as:

• Traction apophysitis of the tibial tuberosity
• Patellar tendon enthesitis (inflammation at the tendon insertion point)

These terms are still used in medical literature but are less common in clinical practice. "Osgood Schlatter" is now the universally recognized name.

Is Osgood Schlatter Actually a Disease?

Here's something that confuses many parents: despite its name, Osgood Schlatter isn't actually a "disease" in the traditional sense.

Disease vs. Injury

A disease typically implies:

• A pathological condition with an infectious or genetic cause
• Something that progresses without intervention
• Often requiring pharmaceutical treatment
• Something "wrong" with the body that needs to be cured

Osgood Schlatter doesn't fit this definition. It's more accurately described as:

• A growth-related overuse injury
• A mechanical stress condition
• A normal response to abnormal loading during growth

The term "disease" is a historical holdover from when the condition was first described in 1903. In that era, any medical condition was often called a "disease" regardless of its underlying nature.

Why This Distinction Matters

Thinking of Osgood Schlatter as an injury rather than a disease is more than semantic—it changes how we approach treatment:

If it's a disease:

• We wait for it to "run its course"
• Treatment focuses on symptom management
• The assumption is nothing can be done except wait for growth to stop
• Complete rest is prescribed

If it's an injury:

• We can actively rehabilitate it
• Treatment addresses root biomechanical causes
• We strengthen, mobilize, and retrain movement patterns
• Athletes can stay active during recovery

At Core Advantage, we treat Osgood Schlatter as a rehabilitable injury, not a passive disease. This perspective shift is why our athletes return to sport in weeks rather than sitting out for 12-18 months waiting for growth to stop.

The condition responds to proper treatment because it's fundamentally a mechanical problem—tight muscles pulling on a vulnerable growth plate—not a disease process that must simply be endured.‍

Learn more about the Osgood program here →

Osgood Schlatter ICD-10 Code

For medical records, insurance claims, and formal diagnosis, Osgood Schlatter Disease has specific ICD-10 codes (International Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision).

Official ICD-10 Codes:

• M92.52 - Juvenile osteochondrosis of tibia and fibula, left lower leg
• M92.51 - Juvenile osteochondrosis of tibia and fibula, right lower leg
• M92.50 - Juvenile osteochondrosis of tibia and fibula, unspecified lower leg
• M92.53 - Juvenile osteochondrosis of tibia and fibula, bilateral

(Note: "Juvenile osteochondrosis" is the broader medical category that includes Osgood Schlatter Disease along with similar growth plate conditions)

Why ICD-10 Codes Matter:

• Insurance processing - Proper coding ensures claims are processed correctly
• Medical records - Creates standardized documentation across healthcare systems
• Research and epidemiology - Allows tracking of condition prevalence and outcomes
• Treatment authorization - Some insurance companies require specific codes for physical therapy coverage

If you're dealing with insurance claims or requesting medical records, knowing these codes can be helpful. Your healthcare provider will use the appropriate code when filing documentation.

How Is Osgood Schlatter Disease Diagnosed?

Osgood Schlatter is typically diagnosed through clinical examination rather than imaging, though X-rays, ultrasound or other radiology may be used in certain cases.

Physical Examination

A healthcare provider will:

1. Palpate the tibial tuberosity - Checking for tenderness and swelling at the bony bump below the kneecap
2. Assess the bump - Looking for visible or palpable prominence
3. Test knee range of motion - Checking for limitations or pain during movement
4. Evaluate quad flexibility - Tight quadriceps are a hallmark sign
5. Perform functional tests - Watching the athlete squat, jump, or perform sport-specific movements

Medical History

Your doctor will ask about:

• When the pain started
• What activities make it worse
• Whether there's a visible bump
• Recent growth spurts
• Sports participation and training volume
• Previous knee injuries

When Imaging Is Used

Most cases of Osgood Schlatter don't require X-rays or other imaging. However, your doctor may order an X-ray if:

• The diagnosis is uncertain
• They need to rule out other conditions (fractures, tumors, infections)
• The case is severe or unusual
• Symptoms don't match typical Osgood presentation
• There's concern about bone fragmentation

X-rays of Osgood Schlatter may show:

• Swelling in the soft tissues below the kneecap
• Fragmentation at the tibial tuberosity
• Irregular bone growth at the attachment site
• In chronic cases, a prominent bony bump

Understanding Osgood Schlatter X-Rays - What Radiologists Look For →

Differential Diagnosis

Your doctor will also rule out other conditions that can cause similar knee pain:

• Patellar tendinitis (Jumper's Knee) - Pain at the bottom of the kneecap rather than tibial tuberosity
• Patellofemoral pain syndrome - Diffuse pain around or behind the kneecap
• Sinding-Larsen-Johansson syndrome - Similar growth plate issue but at the bottom of the kneecap
• Knee fracture or stress fracture
• Tibial tubercle avulsion - A more serious acute injury
• Infection or tumor - Rare but must be ruled out if presentation is unusual

In most cases, the combination of age, activity level, location of pain, and presence of a bump below the kneecap makes Osgood Schlatter diagnosis relatively straightforward.

What Causes Osgood Schlatter Disease?

Osgood Schlatter occurs when rapidly growing bones outpace the muscles' ability to adapt, creating excessive tension at the tibial tuberosity. The core mechanism is a length-tension mismatch between bone growth and muscle flexibility.

Primary Causes:

Rapid bone growth - The femur (thigh bone) grows faster than the quadriceps muscle can adapt, creating tightness and increased pulling force on the patellar tendon attachment site.

High activity levels - Repetitive stress from running, jumping, and sports creates ongoing micro-trauma at the vulnerable growth plate.

Weak supporting muscles - Underdeveloped hip and glute muscles force the quadriceps to work harder, increasing stress on the knee.

Poor movement patterns - Knee-dominant mechanics (rather than hip-dominant) place excessive load on the patellar tendon during athletic movements.

This is just a brief overview of what causes Osgood Schlatter. For a detailed explanation of the biomechanics, risk factors, and why some athletes develop it while others don't:

What Causes Osgood Schlatter Disease - Complete Explanation →

Symptoms of Osgood Schlatter Disease

The hallmark symptoms of Osgood Schlatter Disease are remarkably consistent:

Primary Symptoms:

• Localized pain below the kneecap at the tibial tuberosity
• A visible or palpable bump at the top of the shin bone
• Pain during activity that worsens with running, jumping, or kneeling
• The "morning after" pattern where pain is worse the day following intense activity
• Pain that "warms up" during sport but returns afterward

Secondary Symptoms:

• Quadriceps muscle tightness
• Stiffness getting out of bed
• Difficulty kneeling or going up stairs
• Tenderness when the bump is touched

The pain typically follows a predictable pattern: worse at the start of activity, improves mid-session as the knee warms up, then returns or intensifies afterward or the next day.

For a comprehensive guide to recognizing and understanding all Osgood Schlatter symptoms:

Osgood Schlatter Symptoms - Complete Recognition Guide →

Osgood Schlatter Treatment

Treatment for Osgood Schlatter has evolved significantly over the past two decades. The outdated approach of "rest and wait" has been replaced by active rehabilitation that addresses the root biomechanical causes.

Modern Treatment Approaches to Osgood

Active rehabilitation focusing on:

1. Creating length in tight quadriceps through foam rolling and progressive stretching
2. Building strength with isometric holds and progressive loading
3. Correcting movement patterns to reduce knee stress
4. Managing training loads to allow continued sport participation

This approach allows most athletes to:

• See 50% pain reduction within 2-3 weeks
• Return to full sport within 7-10 weeks
• Build resilience to prevent recurrence

Treatment Options

Physical therapy ‍

Can be effective if the therapist understands sports rehabilitation and movement training, not just pain management.

Complete rest

Still commonly prescribed but rarely the best solution, as it doesn't address underlying causes and often leads to recurrence.

Active rehabilitation program

Structured protocols, like the Core Advantage Osgood Program, that athletes can complete at home, go beyond just addressing pain and address all root cause elements of the condition.

Surgery

Rarely necessary and only considered after growth plates close and all conservative treatments have failed.

For a complete understanding of treatment approaches, timelines, and what actually works:

How to Cure Osgood Schlatter Disease - Proven Treatment Guide →

Frequently Asked Questions About Osgood Schlatter

Is Osgood Schlatter serious?

No, Osgood Schlatter is not a serious medical condition.

It's painful and frustrating, but it's not dangerous and doesn't cause permanent damage to the knee joint. The condition resolves once growth stops, though with proper treatment it can be resolved much faster—often within weeks rather than waiting 12-18 months for growth to complete.

The main "serious" aspect of Osgood Schlatter is the potential for young athletes to lose significant development time if treated with only rest rather than active rehabilitation.

Will Osgood Schlatter go away on its own?

Eventually, probably—once growth plates close and the tibial tuberosity fully ossifies (typically by ages 17-21), the vulnerability that causes Osgood Schlatter no longer exists. However, "on its own" usually means 18+ months of pain and limited activity, and there may be ongoing limitations and pain in adulthood.

With proper treatment, the condition can be resolved in 5-10 weeks while maintaining sport participation. The choice isn't between treating it or letting it go away on its own—it's between passive waiting and active rehabilitation.

Can adults get Osgood Schlatter?

Yes, though it's less common. Some adults continue experiencing Osgood-type pain if:

• They had Osgood as teenagers and never properly rehabilitated
• They have significant bony prominences that occasionally get irritated
• They return to high-impact sports after years of inactivity

Adult Osgood requires a slightly different treatment approach than juvenile Osgood because the growth plates have already closed. We've created a specific program for adults still struggling with this condition.

Adult Osgood Schlatter - Treatment for Persistent Knee Pain →

Understanding Osgood Schlatter Is the First Step

Now that you understand what Osgood Schlatter Disease actually is—a growth-related overuse injury, not a disease that must be passively endured—you can make informed decisions about treatment.

The key points to remember:

• Osgood Schlatter is common, affecting 12% of active young athletes
• It's caused by a mechanical mismatch between rapid bone growth and muscle adaptation
• It responds well to active rehabilitation that addresses root causes
• Most athletes can continue playing with appropriate modifications
• Early intervention leads to faster recovery and smaller permanent bumps

If your child has been diagnosed with Osgood Schlatter, you don't have to accept months or years on the sidelines. Active rehabilitation offers a faster, more comprehensive solution.

Ready to Eliminate Your Knee Pain?

Learn exactly how to treat Osgood Schlatter and start the proven 7-week program that's helped over 6,000 athletes beat Osgood Schlatter:

Start the Osgood Schlatter Program →