Can my child keep playing football with Osgood-Schlatter?

Why sport is usually allowed

Osgood-Schlatter is an irritation of a growth area, not a tear or a break, and it does not usually cause lasting damage to the knee joint. Complete rest often helps only temporarily and takes away fitness, confidence and enjoyment. The goal is to keep the irritated area within what it can tolerate while the child keeps growing.

A simple pain guide

Ask your child to score pain from 0 to 10 during and after sport.

• 0 to 3, and gone by the next morning: carry on as normal
• 4 to 5, or still sore the next day: reduce the session, cut down sprinting, jumping and shooting drills
• 6 or more, limping, or pain at rest: stop high-impact sport for one to two weeks, keep active with swimming or cycling, and get the knee checked

This works well when parents, the child and the coach all use the same approach.

Practical changes for footballers

Kicking, sprinting and jumping load the tendon most. Reducing long shooting drills, limiting sessions on hard artificial pitches when sore, and avoiding playing for several teams in the same week all help. Shin pads offer little protection to the bump; a soft pad or a strap below the kneecap may be more useful. Goalkeepers who land on their knees may benefit from knee padding.

When to pause and get checked

Stop and seek assessment if there is a sudden pop with inability to straighten the leg, marked swelling of the knee joint, limping that does not settle, or pain at night. A sudden pop can mean the growth area has pulled away, a tibial tubercle avulsion, which needs urgent care.