Understanding Osgood-Schlatter Disease: Anatomy

Your knee is a complex joint with many parts. These parts work together to give you the flexibility and motion needed for walking, running, and jumping. But with Osgood-Schlatter disease, knee pain can leave you on the sidelines.

A Knee with Osgood-Schlatter Disease

When your leg moves, the thigh muscle pulls the kneecap. Next, the kneecap pulls a tough band of connective tissue. This tissue then pulls on a bony lump at the top of your shinbone. In some kids, all that pulling can cause Osgood-Schlatter disease. This is because the pulling occurs in an area of the bone that's still growing. As a rule, growing parts of a bone are weaker than other parts. This makes the growing area more likely to get injured.