What is patellar tendinopathy?
Patellar tendinopathy (also known as Jumper’s knee) is an overuse injury that is typically caused by repetitive overloading of the patellar tendon during physical activity. The repetitive storing and release of energy to generate power for movements such as jumping, landing, cutting or pivoting combined with insufficient rest can cause a pathological change to the tendon.
Patellar tendinopathy is an overuse injury
What is the patellar tendon?
The patellar tendon is a part of the quadriceps femoris muscle (also known as the “quadriceps” or “quads”) and it is located underneath the kneecap. This tendon is attached to the bottom of the kneecap and the upper portion of the tibia (shin bone). The patellar tendon allows the quadriceps to complete its function to straighten the knee and it is essential for various movements such as walking, running, jumping, and squatting.
What are the signs and symptoms of patellar tendinopathy?
There are 2 hallmark signs that are used to indicate if patellar tendinopathy is the cause of pain at the front of the knee:
1) Tenderness on the patellar tendon right underneath the kneecap
2) The pain is worse when contracting the quadriceps muscle (i.e. jumping, squatting, using stairs)
The goal is to progressively increase the load tolerance of the patellar tendon and strengthen the surrounding muscles of the kinetic chain to facilitate return to activities
Diagnosis and Treatment
In a physiotherapy assessment, a thorough history and clinical exam will be completed to accurately diagnose this condition and rule out other potential sources of knee pain. A clinician will not only examine the knee but also the surrounding areas (i.e. low back, hips, ankle, feet) to determine the underlying factors that may have led to the injury - the root cause.
Once patellar tendinopathy is diagnosed, a detailed treatment plan will consist of activity modification, generating an individualized exercise plan, and discussing what the recovery timeline will look like. Once beyond the acute phase of your rehab, your therapist will educate you on ways to prevent patellar tendinopathy from happening again in the future. Depending on the severity of your presentation during this assessment, a brace may be recommended to alleviate your symptoms The goal of this program is to progressively increase the load tolerance of the patellar tendon, and strengthen the remainder of the kinetic chain in the legs to facilitate a return to the activities you enjoy!
If you think you may have patellar tendinopathy or have any questions about patellar tendinopathy, come in for an assessment and treatment with one of our experienced physiotherapists at our Vancouver location. We look forward to meeting you!
With care,
Therapy X Collective
References:
Blazina ME, Kerlan RK, Jobe FW, Carter VS, Carl-son GJ. Jumper’s knee. Orthop Clin North Am. 1973;4:665-678
Kountouris, A., & Cook, J. (2007). Rehabilitation of Achilles and patellar tendinopathies. Best practice & research clinical rheumatology, 21(2), 295-316.
Malliaras, P., Cook, J., Purdam, C., & Rio, E. (2015). Patellar tendinopathy: clinical diagnosis, load management, and advice for challenging case presentations. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy, 45(11), 887-898.
Rio E, Moseley L, Purdam C, et al. The pain of tendinopathy: physiological or pathophysiologi-cal? Sports Med. 2014;44:9-23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s40279-013-0096-z