Characteristics of the common nonrheumatic pain syndromes in childhood: patellofemoral pain syndrome (chondromalacia) and Osgood–Schlatter disease.
Clinical and Laboratory Features of Chondromalacia Patella and Osgood-Schlatter DiseaseAdapted from Cassidy JT et al: Textbook of Pediatric Rheumatology, 6th ed. Philadelphia, WB Saunders, 2011.
| Chondromalacia | Osgood–Schlatter | |
|---|---|---|
| Age at onset | Adolescence to young adulthood | Athletic adolescents |
| Sex ratio | Female > male | Male > female |
| Symptoms | Insidious onset of exertional knee pain, pain with knee flexion | Pain over tibial tubercle exacerbated by exercise |
| Difficulty going up and down stairs; need to sit with legs straight | ||
| Signs | Patellar tenderness on compression | Tenderness and swelling over attachment of patellar tendon |
| Quadriceps weakness | ||
| Patellar inhibition sign | ||
| Joint effusion | ||
| Investigations | Radiograph may reveal patella misalignment | Radiograph shows soft tissue swelling, enlarged and sometimes fragmented tubercle |
