Adult Osgood Schlatters?

[KneeKnack]

Hello,

I have gradually developed pain in my left knee over the course of a few years. The pain centres where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia. There is now a lump there and is tender to touch.

I would usually notice this pain after playing football (soccer), but it has gradually got worse until it hurt during playing and now I can't play any more. I stopped playing for a few months to rest it and do some stretching and strengthening exercises, as recommended by my physio, and I tried to play football again, but the pain has returned with avengance - worse than ever! In fact my knee feels very unstable and I was worried I would cause more damage by trying to run on it as it was starting to give way. That was yesterday - still in a fair amount of pain today, hobbling about. When sitting, I can barely lift my foot off the floor by flexing my knee.

I have to admit I was not exactly dedicated to the regime prescribed to me by the physio due to pressures of time, new parenthood and bone-idleness, so I suspect what has happened is my leg muscles, particularly quads, are weaker than when I was playing and are exacerbating the problem. I am about 5'9'' and around 14 stones (196 punds) so a bit overweight, which I don't imagine helps either, but this knee problem has contributed to my lack of exercise and therefore weight gain...

I'm 36 years old and my physio believes I have an adult version of Osgood Schlatters, or at least something that mimicks it. I didn't have Osgood Schlatters as a teenager and the lump development has only appeared in the last year or two.

I am wondering if the diagnosis is accurate and what are my options.

The physio believes a steroid injection might help rehab, if only to settle the problem down enough to allow exercise to build up the muscles. I'm not sure if this is a good idea long term, although the problem is pretty chronic now and I wonder if it's likely to make it any worse. Is anything possible surgically?

I'm quite frustrated by this injury now and a bit depressed at the prospect of maybe not being able to play football or run again.

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[Kituhaja]

Hello,
I know this is quite an old thread but if you still happen to be looking at these would love to know how your knee is going? I have identical symptoms to what you have descibed and have persisted with exercise especially mountain biking with tolerable pain levels for a couple of years. in last 8 months has got worse and have now had 2 cortisone injections- first helped temporarily, second didn't. Now have constant pain and not exercising other than swimming and kayaking and some light eccentric quads stuff which still seems to be aggravating. Diagosed insertional tendonosis on US. Lump getting bigger.
Would love to know if yours got better?
Alison.

[Sundar]

Hello Allison
Me Myself is facing the same problem like yours, I am a soccer player. I understood the problem occurs if there is no proper stretching done before and after the game. when you miss your warm up and cool down part , then we could face this kind of problems if you are playing continuously. I was playing thrice a week of 2 hrs session without any warm up and stretching ..result is the ossification process on the joint where patella tendon connects to tibula. I have met a physio and doing my Quad muscle strengthening and releasing the tight muscles... I advice you to stop playing what is causing this..give complete rest and go on for the strengthening of muscles..it is better to miss some months of game instead missing it for life time..I don't have much pain now after stretching and rest..Tractional apophysitis is the term opt for this kind of cases..

Regards
Sundar

[RajRajRaj]

Hi KneeKnack,

Can't believe that I've only just found this post!!! Is there any update on your condition at all?

I've had the same issue as you as well for years. I've been doing sports, volleyball, basketball, football all my life. Playing 5 a Side for the past 7 years seems to have killed my knees though. I'm 35, 66kgs or so, now and have quit football as 40 mins of 5 a side meant i could barely walk. It took about 3 months for the pain to go away after giving up football and its the best thing i've done for the pain and ache. Although with the snow my knees are so stiff and muscles so tight.

I went to several physio's but the exercises that i did that I found helped most were the stepping off the bottom step of a stair with one leg and then the other. Then repeating stepping off that step sideways and finally backwards. It took about 10 mins, hurt like bugger too while doing it. But the progress was a boost to my motivation. I've been doing that on and off for 3 or 4 years and i think its helped in day to day life. I wish that i had done them on a daily basis though. If i had i think i might be a lot better off today. I know do deep squats, front squats and leg raises. The knees ache after I need to do more stretches and more massages - they can take all the pressure out of the IT bands which seems to be a key issue for me. They also point out that i had fallen arches and that an instep thing could help possibly.

Has surgery been talked about to you? There seem to be varying reports on line as to the results.

[JustMrMak]

I have exactly the same symptoms as described, I wish I found this page a long time ago, I'm on the verge of quitting football (that I am addicted to) for this reason.
I will take some more time out and try these exercises, then perhaps try again.
If the OP could let us know how he got on there would be a few people appreciating the feedback from the kind people who offered their advice.

[klarakos]

I have searched the site for 'Osgood Schlatters', but most, if not all, posts relate to adolescents or adults who had the condition in adolescence. Because I have only had this problem in my 30s, it cannot be Osgood Schlatters per se, but some sort of 'mock' Osgood Schlatters, if such a thing exists. I also wonder if jumper's knee relates to my symptoms.