What is Osgood-Schlatter’s Disease?
OSD is irritation and swelling of the growth plate at the top of the shinbone. Additionally, in OSD there may also be inflammation at the patellar tendon. This condition most commonly occurs during the pubertal growth spurt of children that play sports that require a lot of jumping and/or running.
During growth, bones grow from the ends, rather than the middle, and develop into cartilage before it matures into bone. Cartilage is not as strong as bones are, and the added stress of exercise can cause the growth plate to become painful.