Osgood-schlatter Disease Diagnosis by Algometry and Infrared Thermography

Background : The diagnosis of Osgood-Schlatter Disease (OSD) is based on clinical signs and symptoms. However, more objective parameters, like thermal images, have been researched to determine, along algometry, valid parameters. Objective : The aim of this study was to analyze the thermal differences and the painful sensibility between the knees (with SOS and contralateral) of young soccer players. Methods : 6 young men, aged between 12 and 15, members of football schools, composed the sample. Images were taken from an anterior view of both knees, with the volunteer in a seated position, the knees flexed at 90o degrees and both feet flat on the floor. After the thermal image capture, the patients were submitted to an evaluation with the pressure algometer. Results : According to the results, it was found that the knee affected by the OSD showed temperatures significantly higher than the contralateral (p = 0.027) and also greater sensitivity to the pressure algometry (p = 0.027). Conclusion : it can be concluded that the inflammatory process, during OS Syndrome, promotes a local thermal hyper-radiation, identified with the high sensitive thermographic infrared image, producing a significant difference in local temperature between the knees of a single individual. Moreover, this process also increases the pain sensibility, accessed by pressure algometry.