Growth Plate Injuries in Plano

Osgood-Schlatter disease can cause a painful lump below the kneecap in children experiencing growth spurts during puberty. Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs most often in children (9-15) who participate in sports that involve running, jumping, and swift changes of direction — such as soccer, basketball, gymnastics, and ballet. The cause of Osgood Schlatter is inflammation where the patellar tendon inserts at the tibial tuberosity. Osgood-Schlatter disease affects boys and girls the same. It is a very common injury affecting as many as one in five adolescent athletes. The pain associated w/ Osgood Schlatter should clear up when they stop growing and the tendon becomes stronger.

A Note from the Doctor: We get great results treating Osgood Schlatter’s by utilizing myotherapy, stretching, and rehabilitative exercises in a limited number of visits. Usually, there is a significant decrease in pain after just one treatment and there does not need to be any time off from activity.

Sever’s disease or calcaneal apophysitis, is the most common cause of heel pain in the growing athlete and is due to overuse and repetitive microtrauma of growth plates of the calcaneus in the heel. It occurs in children ages 7 to 15, with the majority of patients presenting between 10 and 12 years of age. It is in relation to Osgood-Schlatter disease which affects the knee rather than the heel/ankle.

Sever’s disease is directly related to the overuse of the bone and tendons in the heel. This can come from playing sports or anything that involves lots of heel movements. It can be associated with starting a new sport, or the start of a new season. Too much weight bearing down on the heel can also cause as can excessive traction since the bones and tendons are still developing. It occurs more commonly in children who pronate and involves both heels in more than half of patients.

Sever’s disease is self-recovering, meaning that it will go away on its own when it is used less or when the bone is through growing. The condition is not expected to create any long-term disability and is expected to subside in 2–8 weeks.

A Note from the Doctor: We get great results treating Sever’s Disease by utilizing myotherapy, stretching, and rehabilitative exercises in a limited number of visits. There is almost always a significant decrease in pain after just one treatment and there should not be a need for time off from activity.