Shelly brought the "Osgood-Schlatter Disease" to my attention recently. It occurs when the growth platelets at the end of the tibia are overstimulated and form a lump of extra bone beneath the main tendon in the knee. This makes kneeling extremely difficult and sports can be painful (the extra bone rubs against the tendon during physical activity, causing micro-tears in the tissue which result in inflamation and pain). Here's another link regarding the illness.
Amy wrote to me (December 9th 2002): "I just wanted to share some information about Osgood Schlatter, which my 6'2" sister suffered from. Recently our chiropractor informed my sister that Osgood Schlatter may have been prevented/corrected by chiropractic treatment. The extra bone forms because the tibia grows so fast that the tendons lose their grip on the bone and the body grows new bone to try to reconnect it. A chiropractor knows how to work the tendon to help reattach itself to the bone, if successful, the tendon will grip the bone and the body doesn't need to develop new bone. Please share this information! I know how terrible my sister feels knowing now that there might have been something she could have done about this condition, but now as an adult she has to live with knee problems. It may be a treatment worth looking into."
Comment from a lady with a science background (January 17th 2003): "One thing you may want to correct (I am a copy writer/editor with a science background) On the health page under Osgood Schlatter, very near the beginning, it's not "growth platelets" of the tibia, it should be "growth plates." :)
Also, it's not really an illness, but this is an interesting health tidbit for tall women. After becoming pregnant with fraternal twins, I learned that big tall women have a higher frequency of twinning. Not of identicals, since that is due to the first division of the zygote. The cells separate creating two individuals. That can happen with equal frequency in any woman. But fraternal twins come from two separate eggs. Releasing two eggs in a single ovulatory cycle is dependant on levels of a certain hormone (I forget what it is). That is why fraternal twins "run" in families, it is hereditary to have higher levels of the hormone. But big, tall women tend to have higher levels, thus higher frequency of twins!"
Elizabeth commented as follows:
Regarding The Osgood-Schlatter disease: As per the Mayo-Clinic Staff, Osgood-Schlatter is not related to greater height. It occurs more often in athletic kids than in non-athletes, affecting as many as one in five adolescent athletes. The condition develops most often in boys ages 13 to 14 and girls ages 10 to 11. It is slightly more common in boys. Refer to www.mayoclinic.com.