Osgood-Schlatter syndrome is most commonly seen in which population?

• A. Infants
• B. Adolescents
• C. Elderly
• D. Middle-aged adults

Answer: (B)

Osgood-Schlatter syndrome is a traction apophysitis of the tibial tubercle caused by repetitive pulling of the patellar tendon on a still-open growth plate. This makes it a problem of the developing skeleton, most likely to occur when kids are growing rapidly and are actively jumping or running. That's why adolescents—typically around 10–15 years old, often with a male predominance due to higher participation in sports—are the group in which it’s most commonly seen. The growth plates are still open then, so the tibial tubercle is vulnerable to inflammation and pain with activity. In contrast, infants, middle-aged adults, and the elderly have closed physes, so this specific apophyseal traction injury is much less common there. Symptoms usually improve with rest as growth finishes and the growth plates close.