Tibial Tuberosity Knee Pain? It might be Adult Osgood-Schlatter Disease
Can Adults Get Osgood Schlatter Disease?
Yes, they unfortunately can.
Understanding this condition is the first step toward managing it effectively. This article will help you make sense of adult Osgood-Schlatter Disease and give you hope for relief.
Osgood-Schlatter disease (also OSD, Osgood Schlatters, or just Osgood) is commonly considered a condition that affects adolescents and children during their growth spurts. However, many adults continue to experience symptoms well into their adult years, dealing with knee pain, restricted movement, and ongoing frustration. If this is your story, you're not alone.
Here's what you need to know about Osgood-Schlatter Disease in adults aged 18 years and older.
The good news is that adult Osgood-Schlatter Disease is becoming better understood, and many adults have found significant relief through proper rehabilitation and targeted strengthening. Whether you're an athlete looking to get back to sports, or someone who simply wants to climb stairs without wincing, there are proven approaches that can help reduce pain and restore function. Through careful, progressive exercise and proper management strategies, many adults have successfully returned to the activities they love - showing that no matter how long you've been dealing with Osgood Schlatters, improvement is possible.
Osgood-Schlatter Disease That Comes Back in Adulthood
Most of the adults who report knee pain typical of Osgood-Schlatter Disease have suffered Osgood as a child or teenager. Having never properly treated their condition at the time, they experience a return of their knee pain and symptoms.
This recurrence isn't random; it's often the direct result of incomplete or improper treatment of their Osgood during adolescence.
The Problem with "Just Grow Out of It"
The traditional medical advice for Osgood is to "just rest and wait to grow out of it" creates a dangerous illusion.
While growth plate closure in your later teen years may temporarily reduce the pain and symptoms of Osgood, this passive approach fails to address the underlying biomechanical issues that caused the condition in the first place. Young athletes unnecessarily miss months of sport, and worse, they're left with dormant risk factors that can trigger problems later in life.
Why Osgood Returns in Adults
The return of OSD symptoms in adulthood can be triggered by something as small as a single bang or knock to a previously pain-free Osgood bump below the knee, but more often, it is triggered by an increase in activity levels - whether starting a new gym routine, joining a recreational sports team, or simply becoming more active. Running and walking increases can be enough to stir up dormant Osgood pain.
Without proper rehabilitation during adolescence, the original movement patterns and muscle imbalances remain — lying dormant until now — are challenged by renewed activity. This often results ina return of the same Osgood knee pain even in adults who have long since stopped their last growth spurt.
Understanding the "Osgood Bump"
Many adults with previous Osgood have a visible bump below their knee - a calcified reminder of their teenage condition. While this tibial tuberosity prominence can be concerning, removing the Osgood bump with surgery is not only incredibly time consuming, painful, invasive and expensive — it might not even solve the Osgood pain in the long run!
The good news for adults with Osgood is that you can effectively treat your symptoms and return you to activity without expensive and invasive surgical interventions or the lengthy rehabilitation that goes with it. The key is understanding that your current pain isn't caused by the bump, but by how your knee functions - something we can address through a proper rehabilitation training program.
New Cases of Osgood Schlatters are Unlikely in Adulthood
Before we go on with helping you solve your adult Osgood symptoms, it is important to note that it’s generally unlikely for an adult who never had Osgood or Osgood like symptoms as a child/teen to develop Osgood Schlatter Disease in adulthood for the first time.
While it's rare for Osgood Schlatter Disease (OSD) to develop for the first time in adulthood - primarily because the condition is linked to tenderness in the growth plates during rapid bone growth - adults can experience very similar knee pain from conditions like patellar tendinopathy (commonly called patellar tendonitis).
The Connection Between Osgood and Patellar Tendonitis
These conditions share remarkably similar symptoms and underlying mechanisms. Both typically occur at the same anatomical location and are often triggered by increased physical activity - whether that's starting a new sport, training for a marathon, or transitioning to a more active job. This is why they're often called "runner's knee" or "jumper's knee" in athletic communities.
Treatment Similarities
The good news is that both conditions respond exceptionally well to similar treatment approaches:
- Building strength in key muscle groups
- Improving tissue quality through targeted mobility work
- Addressing movement patterns and load management
- Progressive return to activity
This is why our online Adult Osgood Program has proven effective for both recurring OSD and new cases of patellar tendinopathy. The principles of rehabilitation remain consistent: creating tissue resilience while progressively building load tolerance.
Getting an Osgood-Schlatter Diagnosis
While our program has helped hundreds of adults resolve their knee pain from both recurring Osgood Schlatter Disease and patellar tendinopathy, It’s important you start your recovery journey with clarity and certainty. A consultation with a healthcare professional like a physiotherapist (physical therapist) or sports doctor can provide valuable insights into your specific condition and confirm you know exactly the cause of your knee pain.
Most cases of anterior knee pain in physically active adults are related to either recurring OSD or patellar tendinopathy - both of which respond well to our program's approach. If you've previously had OSD as a teenager, still have the characteristic bump below your kneecap, or developed pain with increased activity, these are likely causes.
However, there are other conditions and injuries that can cause pain at the front or the knee so it's definitely worth ruling in or out these cases. We are not able to assess your knees o this website, and don’t pretend to be doctors, so confirming this with a professional in-person is recommended!
What Causes Osgood-Schlatter Disease in Adults
Osgood-Schlatter disease is caused by repetitive strain on the patellar tendon, which attaches the kneecap (patella) to the shinbone (tibia). This tendon becomes irritated in response to the stress and then becomes painful - especially made worse when active.
In children and teens, this is often first triggered by a growth spurt that leads to tightness in the quadriceps muscles pulling on the tendon. In adults (who are past the growth spurt age) Osgood pain onset is more likely to be similar to the onset of Patellar tendonopathy as we discussed above. Adult Osgood can begin due to a number of triggers:
- Sports that involve frequent jumping and landing (e.g. basketball, volleyball, indoor soccer, futsal, etc)
- Jobs that require frequent kneeling (e.g. construction, carpeting, landscaping)
- A prior knee injury that wasn’t properly rehabilitated (usually teenage Osgood)
- Anatomical factors like flat feet, knock knees, or muscle imbalance/weakness
- A sudden increase or change in your activity patterns (sport, exercise or lifestyle changes can all contribute)
Most cases of adult Osgood are brought on by a combination of multiple of the above factors.
Symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease in adults
The main symptom of OSD in adults is pain below the knee cap, specifically localised to the point where the patellar tendon attaches into the tibial tuberosity. This pain is often made worse with the onset of activity.
Other symptoms may include:
- Swelling and tenderness below the knee
- A bony lump (ossicle) below the knee cap
- Stiffness in the knee joint
- Leg weakness
- Difficulty kneeling or squatting
Treating Adult Osgood-Schlatter Disease: What Works and What Doesn't
When dealing with adult Osgood-Schlatter Disease (OSD), choosing the right treatment approach is crucial. Let's examine the common treatments and their effectiveness:
Rest and Ice
While rest and ice might temporarily reduce pain, they don't address the underlying causes of Osgood.
Recent research even suggests that regular icing may delay recovery by suppressing the body's natural healing response, the inventor or the RICE protocol, Gabe Mrikin, has even walked it back, saying he was wrong. Complete rest, while tempting, only provides short-term relief and will lead to more tightness and weakness in the supporting muscles your knee needs for proper function.
Braces and Taping
Knee braces for Osgood and KT taping techniques that target the Osgood bump can provide temporary relief by taking pressure off the patellar tendon and are great supplements during the early stages of your program. However, while these supports do help manage symptoms, they don't create the long-term changes needed for lasting relief and should not be relied on too heavily.
Physical therapy for Adult Osgood
While physical therapists can provide valuable assessment and diagnosis for your Osgood Schlatter pain, many still operate under outdated "rest and wait" principles. Traditional treatment often focuses solely on basic stretching and temporary pain relief, missing the crucial progressive loading needed for long-term recovery.
Additionally, multiple weekly appointments Quickly becomes expensive and time-consuming, especially when progress is slow. Working with a PT can be helpful, just be sure to find the right one. Look for a clinician who understands the importance of progressive loading and returning to activity - or consider our comprehensive program which provides the same professional guidance at a fraction of the cost and can be done entirely from home.
Surgery for Osgood (a Last Resort)
Surgery for Osgood-Schlatter Disease - whether removing bony ossicles, shaving down the tibial tuberosity, or adjusting the patellar tendon - comes with a hefty price tag, significant risks and unpredictable outcomes. Many patients still experience knee pain after surgery, and the extended recovery period can set you back even further. Plus, surgery doesn't address the root causes of Osgood: muscular weakness and movement patterns.
A Better Approach to Adult Osgood: A Progressive Training & Rehabilitation Program
The most effective treatment for adult Osgood (and patellar tendinopathy) focuses on addressing the underlying causes of your knee pain while safely returning to activity in a gradual progressive fashion.
This is exactly why we developed our comprehensive online Adult Osgood Rehabilitation program.
The Core Advantage approach covers four key elements to effectively train and treat your Osgood Schlatter knee pain:
- Targeted mobility work to improve tissue quality
- Progressive strength training to rebuild key muscle groups
- Movement pattern correction to reduce stress on the knee
- Careful activity progression to build fitness and return to sport in a sustainable way
The Core Advantage Adult Osgood Program
Our seven-week online program provides everything you need to overcome Osgood and return to an active lifestyle. Our progressive approach to treating Osgood ensures you can move at the pace that's right for you, and get back to doing the things you love.
The program includes detailed instruction on:
- Daily mobility and strength exercises
- Self-applied manual therapy techniques
- Movement pattern training
- Activity progression guidelines
- Complete rehabilitation protocols, progressions and support
Our online Adult Osgood Program includes everything you need to rehabilitate OSD and return to the activities you love, pain-free.
Join the many adults who have successfully overcome their Osgood with our proven approach →
