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Getting Kids With Osgood Schlatter Back to Performing Without Pain

A 3-arm Randomised Parallel Group Superiority Trial to Investigate the Efficacy of Graded Loading and Return to Sport or Pain Guided Activity, Versus Rest or on Symptom and Disease Severity in Patients With Osgood Schlatter

Status
UNKNOWN
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT05826340
Acronym
QUICKRETURNOSD
Enrollment
144
Registered
2023-04-24
Start date
2023-01-26
Completion date
2024-12-31
Last updated
2023-04-24

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Osgood-Schlatter Disease

Keywords

Growth, Adolescent, Musculoskeletal, Pain, Osteochondrosis

Brief summary

The goal of this trial is to compare graded return to sport, or pain guided activity to rest in youth with Osgood Schlatter. The main objectives are: \- to assess the graded return to sport, or pain guided activity on symptoms (pain and function) at six months compared to rest The secondary objectives are to assess the impact of progressive return to sport or pain guided activity on: * Muscle strength and performance * Anterior knee pain provocation * Sports participation * Physical activity The exploratory objectives are to assess the impact of progressive return to sport on ultrasound imaging characteristics of OSD.

Detailed description

Osgood Schlatter disease (OSD) affects 10% of adolescents aged 9-15. This makes it the most common knee pain condition in this age group. OSD is considered an overuse injury, common in highly sports active adolescents. It is considered an apophyseal injury of the tibial tuberosity, the site of attachment of the patellar tendon onto the tibia. Repetitive forces exerted on tissues without allowing for recovery can cause pain and/or tissue damage at the site of attachment onto the weak developing apophyseal cartilage which is thought to be a susceptible injury before the apophysis is fully matured. Characteristics such as cartilage swelling, and associated tendon changes (including thickening of the patellar tendon and increased doppler activity) have been documented. Despite narrative reviews recommending conservative management, there is a complete lack of clinical research evaluating the different recommendations, which range from passive interventions, such as rest/activity limitation, to more active approaches including strength exercises for the lower extremity. We have developed a new progressive return to sport intervention approach which has been piloted in adolescents with OSD. The targeted intervention aims to balance recovery, and graded loading in a guided return to sport paradigm The goal is to help support adolescents manage pain, and guide return to sport & function. There is a need to test other potential conservative interventions which have yet to be examined in a randomised manner. Multi-arm trials allow more treatments to be assessed than a standard two arm trial. This makes this design simpler, quicker and cheaper than running multiple two arm trials, which will produce contemporaneous results for all treatments. This is relevant in the context of OSD, where none of the conservative recommendations have been evaluated. Despite rest being advocated, it may be possible to allow adolescents to participants to participate in sports to the extent that pain allows (pain guided activity). This may be beneficial, given the social and health consequences of complete withdrawal from sport. We therefore aim to evaluate both the progressive return to sport paradigm and pain guided activity in a 3-armed randomised trial, compared to advice to rest and withdrawal from sports.

Interventions

BEHAVIORALTailored progressive loading and return to sport

Participants will undergo a 5-stage progressive return to sport tool.

BEHAVIORALPain guided activity

Participants will be provided on information on how to guide activity based on pain response.

Sponsors

Aalborg University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE (Investigator)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
8 Years to 16 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

\- Children/adolescents (male and female) aged 8-16 years * Diagnosis of OSD based on clinical examination including localised pain at the tibial tuberosity (the insertion of the patellar tendon onto the shin) that increases by palpation, and pain during resisted isometric knee extension. * Ability to understand and the willingness to provide consent

Exclusion criteria

* Any other diagnosable knee pathology, patellar instability, and patellofemoral instability. * Previous knee surgery * Habitual patella subluxation * Clinical suspicion of meniscal lesion * Previous neurologic, musculoskeletal or mental illnesses * Other chronic conditions that may affect the involved musculoloskeletal/connective tissues and treatment (autoimmune, metabolic disorders, diabetes, etc.) * Lack of ability to cooperate

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pain intensity6 monthsPain intensity will be captured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0cm (no pain) to 10cm (worst pain imaginable) where participants are asked to rate their worth pain in the previous week.
Sports related function6 monthsThe patient reported questionnaire Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) contains five separate subscales. We will use the KOOS-Child Sport/Rec subscale to assess sports related function.The scale ranges from 0-100, with higher scores indicating better outcomes

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Objective physical activity6 monthsParticipants will be provided with an Actigraph monitor for two weeks to objectively measure physical activity (time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity and sedentary time at 6 months follow-up. The specific model used will be the wGT3X- BT actigraphy device (ActiGraphCorp, Pensacola, FL), which is a compact, wrist- worn, battery-powered, CE marked device that captures and records continuous, high resolution physical activity and sleep/wake information.
Pain severity during knee loading6 monthsNumeric rating scale ranging from 0, no pain to 10 worst imaginable pain) in response to the anterior knee pain provocation (AKPP). Participants will be asked to complete a single leg squat to about 60 degrees of knee flexion and hold the position for 30 seconds. Pain will be recorded at the end of 30 seconds.
Global rating of change3 months, 6 months, 12 monthsSelf-reported recovery on a 7-point Likert scale, ranging from much better, to much worse.
Pain intensity3 months, 12 monthsPain intensity will be captured using a visual analogue scale (VAS) ranging from 0cm (no pain) to 10cm (worst pain imaginable) where participants are asked to rate their worth pain in the previous week.
Sports related function3 months, 12 monthsThe patient reported questionnaire Knee Injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS)\[22\] contains five separate subscales. We will use the KOOS-Child Sport/Rec subscale to assess sports related function. This scale ranges from 0-100 with higher scores reflecting better outcomes
Health related quality of life3 months, 6 months, 12 monthsHealth related quality of life will be measured by the youth version of the European Quality of Life 5 Dimensions (EQ-5D-Y) at baseline, 3months, 6 months and 12months. The index score ranges from 0-1, with 1 indicating full health.
Muscle strength and performance6 monthsIsometric knee extension torque, hip abduction, and hip extension torque will be measured using a handheld dynamometer. Participants will perform three maximal effort contractions. Results will be averaged and normalised to body weight and lever length. Lower limb power will be conducted by asking the participants to perform single leg vertical and horizontal jumps.
Sports participation3months, 6months, 12 monthsAdolescents will report their weekly sports volume (expressed in hours per week).
Return to sport3months, 6months, 12 monthsIn case of any absence from sport, the time to return to sport (i.e. duration of absence) will be documented.
Pain severity during palpation6 monthsNumeric rating scale ranging from 0, no pain to 10 worst imaginable pain) in response to palpation of the tibial tuberosity.

Other

MeasureTime frameDescription
Patient satisfaction3months ,6 months, 12 monthsPatient satisfaction with the results of the treatment will be asked on a 5-point Likert scale ranging from very satisfied to very unsatisfied.
Ulstrasound characteristics: tendon thickness6 monthsUltrasound scans of the knee will be used at baseline and six months to evaluate tendon thickness at the distal patellar tendon. To determine distal thickness, a transversal scan taken 1cm from TT attachment will be used.
OSD ultrasound staging according to DeFlaviis6 monthsUltrasound scans of the knee will be used at baseline and six months to evaluate OSD ultrasound classification according to DeFlaviis (no changes, cartilage swelling, cartilage swelling plus bony changes, associated bursitis, associated tendonopathy).
Ulstrasound characteristics: neovascularisation6 monthsUltrasound scans of the knee will be used at baseline and six months to evaluate neovascularisation in the tendon and apophysis. This will be done by evaluating the presence of positive Doppler signal.

Countries

Denmark

Contacts

Primary ContactMichael S Rathleff, DrMed
quickreturnOSD@hst.aau.dk

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026