From the Research
No, a knee replacement does not remove Osgood-Schlatter disease from the knee. Osgood-Schlatter disease affects the tibial tuberosity, which is the bony prominence below the kneecap where the patellar tendon attaches to the tibia. During a knee replacement surgery, the surgeon replaces the damaged surfaces of the femur and tibia with metal and plastic components, but does not typically address the tibial tuberosity where Osgood-Schlatter disease occurs.
Key Points to Consider
- Osgood-Schlatter disease is most common in adolescents during growth spurts and usually resolves on its own once skeletal maturity is reached 1.
- For adults with persistent symptoms from childhood Osgood-Schlatter disease, treatments typically include physical therapy, pain management, and in rare cases, surgical removal of ossicles (bone fragments) at the tibial tuberosity 2, 3.
- If you have both knee arthritis requiring replacement and symptoms from Osgood-Schlatter disease, you should discuss this specifically with your orthopedic surgeon, as they may need to consider additional procedures or modifications to address both conditions.
- Surgical treatment of unresolved Osgood-Schlatter disease has been shown to be effective, with high success rates and low complication rates 4.
Recommendations
- Patients with Osgood-Schlatter disease should be treated conservatively first, with surgical intervention considered only for those who fail to respond to conservative measures 1, 4.
- Surgical removal of ossicles and tubercleplasty may be necessary for patients with persistent symptoms and skeletal maturity 2, 5, 4.
- Arthroscopic techniques may be beneficial for treating Osgood-Schlatter disease, offering advantages such as early postoperative recovery and improved cosmetic results 3.