Osgood-Schlatter Disease in Emergency Medicine Treatment & Management

  • Author: Andrew K Chang, MD; Chief Editor: Rick Kulkarni, MD   more...
 
Updated: May 5, 2010
 

Emergency Department Care

No prospective, interventional studies evaluating the treatment of Osgood-Schlatter disease, including the recommended conservative treatments (ice, analgesics, activity restriction, stretching, strengthening, or anti-inflammatory medications) are available.

  • Once the diagnosis is made and other pathologies are ruled out, the patient may be discharged with primary care or orthopedic referral. Therapy is conservative.
  • Initial treatment includes the application of ice for 20 minutes every 2-4 hours.
  • Analgesics and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) may be given for pain relief and reduction of local inflammation.
  • Inform the patient to avoid pain-producing activities (eg, sports that involve excess amounts of jumping).
  • Use of a knee immobilizer for a few days may improve compliance, especially in more severe cases. Pads or braces also can be used for support.
  • Once the acute symptoms have abated, quadriceps-stretching exercises, including hip extension for a complete stretch of the extensor mechanism, may be performed to reduce tension on the tibial tubercle. Stretching exercises for the hamstrings, which are commonly tight, may also be performed.
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Consultations

Approximately 90% of cases do well with nonoperative treatment. Refractory cases unresponsive to conservative treatment should be referred to an orthopedist for possible surgical intervention after skeletal maturity. Variations of surgical treatment include drilling of the tibial tubercle, excision of the tibial tubercle (decreasing the size), longitudinal incision in the patellar tendon, excision of the ununited ossicle and free cartilaginous pieces (tibial sequestrectomy), insertion of bone pegs, and/or a combination of any of these procedures.

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Contributor Information and Disclosures
Author

Andrew K Chang, MD  Associate Professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center

Andrew K Chang, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Academy of Neurology, American College of Emergency Physicians, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Specialty Editor Board

Mark S Slabinski, MD, FACEP, FAAEM  Vice President, EMP Medical Group

Mark S Slabinski, MD, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, and Ohio State Medical Association

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD  Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine

Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

David B Levy, DO, FACEP, FAAEM  Chairman, Department of Emergency Medicine, St Elizabeth Health Center; Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine

David B Levy, DO, FACEP, FAAEM is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American Medical Informatics Association, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

John D Halamka, MD, MS  Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Chief Information Officer, CareGroup Healthcare System and Harvard Medical School; Attending Physician, Division of Emergency Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center

John D Halamka, MD, MS is a member of the following medical societies: American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Rick Kulkarni, MD 

Rick Kulkarni, MD is a member of the following medical societies: Alpha Omega Alpha, American Academy of Emergency Medicine, American College of Emergency Physicians, American Medical Association, American Medical Informatics Association, Phi Beta Kappa, and Society for Academic Emergency Medicine

Disclosure: WebMD Salary Employment

References

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  2. Kujala UM, Kvist M, Heinonen O. Osgood-Schlatter's disease in adolescent athletes. Retrospective study of incidence and duration. Am J Sports Med. Jul-Aug 1985;13(4):236-41. [Medline].

  3. Gholve PA, Scher DM, Khakharia S, Widmann RF, Green DW. Osgood Schlatter syndrome. Curr Opin Pediatr. Feb 2007;19(1):44-50. [Medline].

  4. Orava S, Malinen L, Karpakka J, Kvist M, Leppilahti J, Rantanen J, et al. Results of surgical treatment of unresolved Osgood-Schlatter lesion. Ann Chir Gynaecol. 2000;89(4):298-302. [Medline].

  5. Aparicio G, Abril JC, Calvo E, Alvarez L. Radiologic study of patellar height in Osgood-Schlatter disease. J Pediatr Orthop. Jan-Feb 1997;17(1):63-6. [Medline].

  6. Binazzi R, Felli L, Vaccari V, Borelli P. Surgical treatment of unresolved Osgood-Schlatter lesion. Clin Orthop. Apr 1993;202-4. [Medline].

  7. Bloom OJ, Mackler L, Barbee J. Clinical inquiries. What is the best treatment for Osgood-Schlatter disease?. J Fam Pract. Feb 2004;53(2):153-6. [Medline].

  8. Dunn JF. Osgood-Schlatter disease. Am Fam Physician. Jan 1990;41(1):173-6. [Medline].

  9. Flowers MJ, Bhadreshwar DR. Tibial tuberosity excision for symptomatic Osgood-Schlatter disease. J Pediatr Orthop. May-Jun 1995;15(3):292-7. [Medline].

  10. Gholve PA, Scher DM, Khakharia S, Widmann RF, Green DW. Osgood Schlatter syndrome. Curr Opin Pediatr. Feb 2007;19(1):44-50. [Medline].

  11. Hussain A, Hagroo GA. Osgood-Schlatter disease. Sports Exer Injury. 1996;2:202-206.

  12. Krause BL, Williams JP, Catterall A. Natural history of Osgood-Schlatter disease. J Pediatr Orthop. Jan-Feb 1990;10(1):65-8. [Medline].

  13. Micheli LJ. The traction apophysitises. Clin Sports Med. Apr 1987;6(2):389-404. [Medline].

  14. Rostron PK, Calver RF. Subcutaneous atrophy following methylprednisolone injection in Osgood-Schlatter epiphysitis. J Bone Joint Surg Am. Jun 1979;61(4):627-8. [Medline].

  15. Smith JB. Knee problems in children. Pediatr Clin North Am. Dec 1986;33(6):1439-56. [Medline].

 
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Radiograph of a patient who is skeletally mature. Note that the tibial tubercle is enlarged and there is an ossicle. A bursa was overlying this.
Radiograph of a patient who is skeletally immature. The tubercle is elongated and fragmented.
 
 
 
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