OSGOOD SCHLATTER'S SYNDROME
The day before he was to leave for boot camp, he came to see me and I found out about it for the very first time. So, I treated him --- one time ---- seven or eight years ago ----- for a problem he had struggled with for the better part of his life. Needless to say, the one treatment solved his problem and it never returned. Thanks for the memories Michael (not to mention the testimonial)!
"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 which can be very painful when hit. In more detail, activities such as kneeling may irritate the tendon." |
MORE PICTURES OF OSGOOD SCHLATTER SYNDROME
The picture on the left shows the front right thigh (Quadriceps Muscles). These (4) muscles make up the most powerful group of muscles in the entire body. And although these four muscles have upper attachments that range from the pelvis to the thigh bone itself (femur), the lower attachment is the same for all of them. It is the Quadriceps Tendon. Just below the Quadriceps tendon is the short Patellar Tendon which attaches to the lower leg at a place called the Tibial Tuberosity. If you simply reach down and feel |
Wolf's Law says that,"Bone grows due to mechanical stresses placed upon it, whether the stresses are normal (good) or abnormal (bad)". This is valuable information. It is why people who have broken a leg are put in a walking cast as soon as they can tolerate it. It is also why people develop Degenerative Arthritis in joints that have been injured or do not 'move' like they used to move. Abnormal mechanical stresses on muscles, tendons, joints, or bones, are going to cause problems in one way or another.
Let's think about this for a moment. What is one result an overly tight quadriceps muscle is going to produce? It is ultimately going to pull like crazy at the Tibial Tubercle. If you understand Wolf's Law, you realize that this is going to cause the Tibial Tubercle to increase in size as new bone is laid down. As the earlier quote from Wikipedia says, "repeated stress from contraction of the quadriceps is transmitted through the patellar tendon to the immature tibial tuberosity." When this happens, you will get varying degrees of, "avulsion fractures along with inflammation of the tendon, leading to excess bone growth in the tuberosity and producing a visible lump." In the case of Osgood Schlatter Disease, there will always be a degree of TENDINOSIS. However, treatment that is geared at the tendon itself will frequently fail ---- especially in more severe cases. The tendon problem, the repeated avulsion fractures, and the extra-large Tibial Tuberosity all have an underlying cause.
To the best of my knowledge, I have never seen a case of Osgood Schlatter Syndrome that I was unable to resolve ---- quickly. The thing that I find somewhat odd, however, is that despite the fact that it is dog-common, few people have heard of it and the medical community has no real idea how to address it other than the methods mentioned above. If you or a loved one has Osgood Schlatter's, call Tracy at (417) 934-6337 and schedule an appointment to let me take a look. Dealing with this common mechanical problem now, can potentially save a lot of time, grief, and money in the future. We will never make that ugly over-sized Tibial Tubercle go away ---- no one can. Unfortunately, it will be with you forever. But we can stop the abnormal bio-mechanics that are causing it to grow, as well as helping prevent future knee problems. It is my experience that doing this will stop the pain of Osgood Schlatter Disease dead in its tracks!