By Jamie Su
Young athletes today demonstrate remarkable levels of talent and athleticism, surpassing previous generations and pushing the boundaries of sport to new heights. Their progress is limited by a single factor – their physical growth.
Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) is an injury of the knee that causes painful swelling on the shinbone below the knee. It is an overuse condition that typically affects children during their growth spurts—ages 10 to 13 for girls, and ages 12 to 14 for boys. During a child’s growth spurt, their bones grow at a much faster rate compared to the muscles and tendons. This leads to the muscles and tendons becoming tight.
Getting diagnosed with Osgood-Schlatter can be particularly debilitating for athletes whose sports demand repetitive stress on the knees and legs. From a figure skater’s point of view, this disease poses a significant threat to their career. For individual figure skaters, the most essential point-grabbing elements are the jumps. When skaters take off and rotate in the air for atleast four revolutions, they land on the ice with around eight times their body weight. The constant strain on the knees leads to repeated pulling on the patellar tendon below the knee. On account of the fact that children across the world as young as 11 years old are landing quadruple jumps, which were elusive in the sport just a few years ago, it is essential to know what overtraining can lead to—this does not apply only in the figure skating world.
As aforementioned, OSD causes discomfort around the knee area, which can affect simple physical activities such as running, jumping, and squatting, and the inflammation and swelling OSD causes can lead to limited mobility. It is also worth noting that the knee area is crucial for many movements outside of sport. A condition like OSD can make simply walking up the stairs a difficult task.
Most importantly—children affected by Osgood-Schlatter are usually no older than 14. Severe cases of OSD could potentially require long breaks from training and competing. For young athletes, a hiatus from their beloved sport can lead to frustration, especially if the condition progresses. Continued stress over the fear of missing out on important training sessions, competitions, and other events has a negative impact on mental health. For many athletes, their identities are closely tied to their achievements in sports. OSD threatens not only the physical health of an athlete but their mental and emotional well-being as well.
This means it is important to protect these young athletes. Their parents and coaches must recognize their limits and understand that pushing them beyond their physical capabilities could further harm them. They can support by making the affected athletes follow a balanced training regimen, prioritizing recovery when needed, and focusing on mind-body wellness—ensuring that these talented young athletes can continue pushing the boundaries of sport in a healthy and secure environment.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease. Boston Children’s Hospital. (n.d.). https://www.childrenshospital.org/conditions/osgood-schlatter-disease#:~:text=Osgood%2DSchlatter%20disease%20is%20an,12%20to%2014)%20for%20boys.
Sutton, B. (n.d.). Injury prevention strategies for figure skating. NASM. https://blog.nasm.org/winter-sports/injury-prevention-strategies-figure-skating#:~:text=According%20to%20Mayo%20Clinic%2C%20%E2%80%9COsgood,skating%2C%20basketball%2C%20and%20ballet.
Edited by Lamisa Chowdhury
Astra Stem 
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