Complete resolution of the symptoms of refractory Osgood-Schlatter disease following percutaneous fixation of the tibial tuberosity

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a common cause of anterior knee pain in adolescents. In a good proportion of cases the pain is relieved through stopping sport alone, or by doing so in conjunction with undertaking physiotherapy. However, resolution of symptoms may take several years. A proportion of teenagers are prevented from participating in sport for a prolonged period as a result of the condition, and some have persisting knee pain into adulthood. We report the use of a new surgical treatment for this disease. We describe the case of a 12-year-old boy who was unable to play rugby for a year due to this pain. Following percutaneous fixation of the tibial tuberosity his symptoms entirely resolved and he returned to competitive sport 6 weeks after surgery. A year later the screw was removed. As soon as he resumed sport his symptoms immediately returned and he requested that the screw be replaced. Following replacement his symptoms once more resolved.