Condition guide
Does your child say the bump just below the knee hurts after football, basketball or running? Osgood-Schlatter happens in active children and teenagers during a growth spurt, when the front thigh muscle repeatedly pulls, through the knee tendon, on the growing end of the shin bone. It can look worrying, but it is harmless and goes away once growth is complete. With well-adjusted activity and exercise, your child can get through this phase without giving up their sport.
Until the pain is under control, reduce how long and how often your child runs and jumps. You can let the school know and ask for PE lessons to be lighter.
Especially after activity, you can apply ice wrapped in a cloth for 10 minutes; do not put it directly on the skin.
Stretches for the front and back of the thigh and strengthening exercises that do not strain the knee can be done when pain allows.
Progress step by step while monitoring the pain: first daily activities and exercises, then running, jumping and matches as the pain allows.
You can ask your doctor or pharmacist about painkillers. For other pain at the front of the knee, you can look at the anterior knee pain and jumper’s knee guides.
Exercises at home
Only do the stretches when pain allows. There may be mild pain during strengthening, but if the pain increases after exercise or has not gone by the next day, reduce the load.
Stand upright holding a chair or wall. Bend one knee, hold your ankle with your hand and bring your heel towards your bottom; keep your knees together and pointing down. Feel a stretch at the front of your thigh. Only do it when pain allows.
20–30 seconds, 2–3 times each legSit on the front edge of a chair. Stretch one leg out in front with the heel on the floor and the toes pointing up. Keeping your back straight, lean forward from the hips until you feel a stretch at the back of your thigh. Only do it when pain allows.
20–30 seconds, 2–3 times each legStand with your back against a wall and your feet half a step in front of it. Slide down the wall, bending your knees slightly, and hold at a depth where the pain stays mild. If the pain increases, bend less.
30–45 seconds, 3–5 timesLie on your back with one knee bent. Keeping the other knee straight and tightening your thigh, lift that leg to the height of the bent knee, then lower it slowly. It works the front of the thigh without loading the bump below the knee.
10–15 reps, 2–3 setsLie on your side with the lower knee slightly bent. Lift the top leg with the knee straight and the toes pointing forward, then lower it slowly. The muscles at the side of the hip help keep the knee steady.
10–15 reps on each side, 2–3 setsLie on your back with your knees bent and feet on the floor. Squeeze your buttocks to lift your hips, making a straight line from your shoulders to your knees. Hold for 3–5 seconds and lower slowly.
10–15 reps, 2–3 setsUsually they do not need to stop completely. Sport does not cause lasting damage, but it can make the pain worse. Until the pain is under control, it is recommended to reduce how long, how often and how much they do of demanding activities, especially running and jumping. If the pain is very severe, a complete break may be needed for a while.
The pain often eases within a few months, but some symptoms can last 12–24 months. It goes away once bone growth is complete. It can flare up again during a new growth spurt or with intense sport.
The front thigh muscle repeatedly pulls, through the knee tendon, on the growing end of the shin bone; this area becomes strained and inflamed. As it heals, a hard bony bump can form there. The bump can be tender when touched or when kneeling.
In a study of 51 young people aged 10–14, after a 12-week programme of an activity ladder adjusted to pain, knee strengthening and a gradual return to sport, 80% reported improvement; at 12 months, 69% had returned to sport. Because the study had no control group, the results should be interpreted with caution, but it offers an alternative to simply resting and waiting.
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