Osgood-Schlatter disease is a painful condition that affects the proximal end of the tibia (a long bone) just distal to the knee. It primarily affects athletically active children between the ages of 10 and 14. The condition develops when the patellar tendon places strain on this area of the tibia as the area is not as stable as other regions of the bone in children this age. Why would this region not be as stable as other regions of the tibia?
The medullary cavity does not fully develop until adulthood, meaning the yellow marrow would not provide shock absorption.
The spongy bone of the epiphysis would not have fully calcified so the bone in that area would not be as hard.
Articular cartilage is not fully formed until adulthood meaning there would be more stress in the joint.
Children in this age are going through a growth spurt meaning there is a significant amount of cartilage in the epiphyseal plate.
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