Viva Voce on Knee Injuries and Osgood-Schlatter

Viva Voce Stations

• Students have a viva voce with 4 stations.
• A coin toss determines which stations a student is assigned to.
• Potentially, 8 injuries can be assessed per student.
• 2 stations assess acute injuries.
• 2 stations assess chronic injuries.

Viva Topics

• Knee Injuries: Anterior Cruciate Ligament injury, Elbow joint dislocation, Hamstring strain, Ankle sprain, Patella tendonitis.
• Other Injuries: Osgood-Schlatters syndrome, Plantar Fasciitis, Chondromalacia patellae.

Osgood-Schlatter Disease

• Causes pain and swelling in the knee in adolescents.
• Due to growth spurts.
• Pain is below the knee joint, at the tibial tuberosity, where the kneecap meets the shinbone.

Anatomy of Osgood-Schlatter

• Damages the growth plate at the tibial tuberosity and patellar tendon.
• Can result in irregular bone growth.
• Swelling and reduced mobility occur.

Predisposing Factors for Osgood-Schlatter

• Growth spurts: during adolescence.
• Quadriceps muscle overuse: Repeated contractions weaken the ossification centre.
• Knee extension: Repeated straightening beyond the normal range.
• Tight surrounding muscles: (quadriceps) and increased tension on the patellar tendon, often worsened by sports activities with running and jumping.
• Male gender presents an increased risk.

Mechanism of Osgood-Schlatter

• Excessive subtalar pronation: This involves excessive outward rolling of the foot.
• Excessive pulling on the tibial tuberosity: Caused by the patellar tendon during growth spurts in adolescents, leading to swelling below the knee.

Treatment for Osgood-Schlatter

• Reduced load: This involves reducing activities that stress the knee.
• Orthotics: Used to limit subtalar pronation and stress on knee ligaments.
• Sports withdrawal: Temporarily resting from sports activities.

Program Modifications (Potential Treatment)

• Stretching program: Quadriceps stretch (3 x 30 seconds), seated calf stretch (5 x 30 seconds), and knee straightening (3 times per hour).
• Massage therapy: Focused on the quadriceps muscles.
• Muscle strengthening exercises: If possible.