Osgood-Schlatter disease or osteochondrosis of the tibial tuberosity is a traction apophysitis of the tibial tuberosity caused by repetitive traction of the patellar tendon at its attachment to the tibial tuberosity. It is one of the most common causes of anterior knee pain in children and adolescents especially those who participate in sports that involve jumping and running. It is rarely seen in adulthood and the mechanism of injury is usually related to direct impact on the tubercle rather than contraction of the quadriceps as seen in adolescents.

In the past, Osgood-Schlatter disease primarily affected the male sex, but now with the increasing number of young female athletes, several studies show no significant difference in the prevalence of the disease between males and females, with predominant age between 8 and 13 years for girls, and 12 and 15 years for boys. The patient's history and physical examination are usually sufficient to make the diagnosis. The main symptom is pain focused on the tibial tuberosity and the distal patellar tendon, occurring during activity and subsiding during rest, in a patient with a history of trauma during sports activities such as basketball , volleyball, gymnastics and football. If the pain worsens at night or at rest, other diagnoses should be considered such as Sinding-Larsen-Johansson disease, patellofemoral syndrome, patellar dislocation or subluxation, patellar chondromalacia, avulsion fracture of the tibial tuberosity, or tumoral and infectious pathologies. Radiological exploration of Osgood Schlatter's disease is not essential for the diagnosis, and it will only be requested if there is a clinical doubt. It is based on the standard X-ray of the knee from the front, but especially from the side, which makes it possible to highlight a fragmentation of the tibial tuberosity, with an edema of the soft tissues opposite. She also has an interest in the classification of the disease in late adolescence into 4 stages according to Ehrenborg and Lagergren: stage 1 : Normal X-ray; stage 2: Minor deformity of the anterior tibial tuberosity; stage 3: Prominent tibial tuberosity; stage 4: Tibial tuberosity with a separated ossicle. MRI and ultrasound are not necessary for the diagnosis and management of these patients. The only indication for an MRI is the suspicion of a tumor pathology, exceptional at this anatomical location. Therapeutic management is based mainly on rest and cessation of sporting activity and sometimes the prescription of analgesics based on paracetamol or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs to calm the pain. Orthopedic treatment is rarely indicated because it risks causing amyotrophy and stiffness of the knee, and it is recommended especially for adolescents who refuse sports leave or in the case of a pain crisis that does not respond to analgesic treatments and cessation of sporting activities. As for surgery, it is very rarely indicated and it should never be performed before the end of growth because there is a risk of seeing a genu recurvatum appear, by iatrogenic fusion of the growth cartilage of the tibial tuberosity, and only cases with very debilitating pain may require surgery.