title: [Ultrasonography of the Osgood-Schlatter disease].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of our study was to asses the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of M. Osgood-Schlatter. The results of the primary ultrasound examination were compared with the use of X-ray.
  
  
  METHODS
  15 patients were included in our study (average age 11 - 17 years, 8 female, 7male). All patients get an X-ray of the knee in two or three images. There was a reference-group of 10 patients with 20 joints (average age 11 - 14 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We observed typical sonographic images in different stages of M. Osgood-Schlatter. The changes depended on the duration of the disease. In every case we found a thickness of the patellar tendon of more than 1 mm (stage I and II), a bursitis infrapatellaris (stage II) and a fragmentation of the cortical bone of the apophysis (stage II). In cases of stage III disease a thickness of the patellar tendon of less than 1 mm was to be seen. In healthy people the average thickness of the patella tendon was 4.8 mm (3.5 - 5.7 mm). The maximal difference between the left and the right side was 0.4 mm.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  With the use ultrasound in cases of M. Osgood-Schlatter a reduced exposure of children to X-ray is possible. Ultrasound examination is a clear and easy way to diagnose the disease correctly and evaluate its course and cure.
authors.affiliation: Orthopädische Universitätsklinik, Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg. Konrad.Mahlfield@medizin.uni-magdeburg.de
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mahlfeld
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kayser
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Merk
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010007:Osteochondritis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D010329:Patella / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D012016:Reference Values; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014463:Ultrasonography
vernacular_title: Sonographische Diagnostik bei M. Osgood-Schlatter.