Osgood Schlatters Disease Archives

Osgood Schlatters Disease

I was diagnosed with OSD when I was 10. My doctor said not to do any sports and that I would grow out of it. I went back to the same doctor two years later when it didn't improve at all and only got worse. My doctor then suggested surgery. I had this. He said that my knees would be "back to normal" in six months. After a year in which my pain only worsened and never got better, I went to a different doctor. This doctor put me in physical therapy for three months. I did "graduate" from p.t. but there weren't any signs of improvement in pain. My legs were stronger, but my knees were hurting worse than ever. My question is this: what happens after the surgery?
I am now 14 years old and still dealing with the pain. Stairs at school are like hell, and my mom still won't let me take P.E. I'm so sick of not being able to do things that I would rather screw my knees up more than be left out? Is there anything I can do?

Follow Ups:

• Re: Osgood Schlatters Disease concerned 14:47:16 2/16/01 (0)
• Re: Osgood Schlatters Disease (Lack of patient education not always physician's fault--although it is her job to notice that it is not getting through.) Archive in philosophy. Walt Stoll 09:00:30 2/14/01 (0)
• Re: Osgood Schlatters Disease Sean 23:10:59 2/12/01 (0)

In Reply to: Osgood Schlatters Disease posted by Megan on February 12, 2001 at 09:53:42:

Megan,

How are the knees when you stretch. I think I have a mild form of this. Because I can recall my knees hurting for a long time. When I would exercise I would often have to stretch and concentrate on the knee stretchs and this would help some of the pain.

(I'm trying to think of a way to describe the stretch).
There are various ways to do this but the main thing you want to do is to stretch the front of the leg so your calf touches the back of your leg.

I often would accomplish this by kneeling on the ground and having my legs directly over my calves and then leaning back to where I feel the stretch in the front of my legs. I would hold this position for hmm 45 seconds.
Then I would stretch each leg my steanding and grabing one ankle and then stretching them again this way. (where you kind of look like a balarina but not).

I'm not sure if this will help you; but I still have knee problems and this often makes them not hurt so much.
I have had problems with my knees since I was your age too.

good luck and let me know if your having trouble with the stretches. I know kind of a pain to do, but if they help you when your running around well... you might have to get used to doing them.

Sean

In Reply to: Osgood Schlatters Disease posted by Megan on February 12, 2001 at 09:53:42:

Hi, Megan.

It is CRITICAL that you go through whatever you have to do to learn EXACTLY that this condition is. Start in the reference section of your library and have them find you atlasses of this condition.

Once you understand, it is you who will be managing your future. There is absolutely no way that this will not clear itself up before you are 20 years old. Surgery is reserved for those who continue to complain in spite of their being assured that it will be gone with the cessation of growth AND for those whose patellar tendon attachment has totally separated (these are evidenced by the person not being able to walk at all).

A true physician would have set you down and fully explained the situation to you and would have avoided the surgery and scars on your knees.

My youngest son had this and he was lucky enough to have a physician as his dad. As they ALL do, his cleared up when he stopped growing.

Since your doc has not taken the time to fully explain this to you it is YOU who are going to have to put out the effort. Remember, it IS possible that the doc DID explain this fully and you (and your parents) just did not hear what he had to say.

Exit interviews, for years, have established that people only remember 30% of what the doc said as they leave the office and only 10% the next day. That is why I insisted that MY patients bring a tape to the office so they could take home everything I said and review it as often as they needed to.

IMAGINE: You go to the grocery store and, after you have paid for your purchases, as you leave the store you throw 70% of the groceries in the trash. The next day, you throw away 2/3rds of what you actually got home before you start using them. Same thing exactly only a lot more expensive than groceries!

Let us know what you learn.

Walt

In Reply to: Osgood Schlatters Disease posted by Megan on February 12, 2001 at 09:53:42:

Megan,

Take a look at this link. It has references to other websites on Osgood-Schlatter's disease. Hope there's some info in there for you on what to do next. Love and luck.

\\http://www.ibionet.com/rarediseases/osgoodschlattersdisease.html

• Osgood-Schlatter's disease