DETERMINATION OF SKELETAL AGE IN CHILDREN WITH OSGOOD-SCHLATTER DISEASE BY USING RADIOGRAPHS OF THE KNEE

We determined the skeletal age in 26 children (12 girls, 14 boys) with Osgood-Schlatter disease using knee radiographs. The average chronolo gical age was 13.2 +/- 2.2 years, and the average bone age was 13.1 +/ - 2.3 years (p > 0.01). All but one of the skeletal ages fell within t he normal range. Skeletal maturation in children with Osgood-Schlatter disease is thus normal. With normal skeletal maturation and normal ph yses histologically (previously shown), it is unlikely that an abnorma lity of physeal development or structure is the etiology of Osgood-Sch latter disease. Rather, it is most likely a result of tensile stresses on the tibial tuberosity. This is in contrast to slipped capital femo ral epiphysis, another common disorder affecting children of the same ages as those with Osgood-Schlatter disease, in which physeal abnormal ities and skeletal maturation anomalies do occur.