Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is one of the most common causes of knee pain in adolescents. It's not really a disease, but an overuse injury.

OSD is an inflammation of the bone, cartilage, and/or tendon at the top of the shinbone (tibia), where the tendon from the kneecap (patella) attaches.

OSD usually strikes active adolescents around the beginning of their growth spurts where the bones, muscles and tendons can be growing at different rates. With exercise, differences in size and strength between the muscle groups place unusual stress on the growth plate at the top of the shinbone. A growth plate is a layer of cartilage near the end of a bone where most of the bone's growth occurs. Growth spurts can begin any time between the ages of 8 and 13 for girls. OSD has generally been more common in boys, but as more girls participate in sports, this is changing. Teens at risk for OSD play sports involving running, twisting, and jumping.

Pain is the biggest complaint and this may be anywhere from mild and felt only during activity to severe and constant. OSD usually goes away when a teenager's bones stop growing, usually between 14 and 18 years. Until then, only the symptoms need treatment. If you have any concerns surrounding knee pain contact your physiotherapist for advice and treatment.