Patellar Tendinopathy

About this topic

A tendon is a strong band of tissue that connects muscles to bones. The patellar tendon connects the kneecap to the shinbone. The patellar tendon helps you to straighten your knee. It is important for walking, running, and jumping. You also use it for kicking and going up and down stairs. An injury to this tendon is called patellar tendinopathy. ‚
This is a common injury in people who play sports with a lot of jumping. It is sometimes called jumpers knee. ‚

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What are the causes?

Overuse or repeated movements of the knee
Abnormal position of the leg bones

What can make this more likely to happen?

Playing sports like volleyball, basketball, or soccer. It is also common in people who do gymnastics and running. All of these have lots of jumping and sudden stops and starts. They also put a lot of stress on the knees.
Training too hard or too often

What are the main signs?

Pain at or below the kneecap
- Worse with jumping, running, bending the knee, and going up and down steps
- Can be felt up to your front thigh muscles
Tightness in the knee

How does the doctor diagnose this health problem?

Your doctor will feel around your kneecap and knee joint. Your doctor may push and pull around your knee. This will help your doctor check your motion and strength. Your doctor may also have you walk or jump to see if it makes your problem worse. The doctor may order: ‚

X-ray
MRI scan

How does the doctor treat this health problem?

Rest
Ice
Keeping the knee raised
Brace or strap around the knee over the patella tendon
Inserts for your shoes. These are foot orthotics.
Crutches or walker to take pressure off your injured leg
Exercises
Massage
Surgery may be needed if there is very bad damage to the tendon or if no other treatment works.

The doctor may give you a shot of an anti-inflammatory drug called a corticosteroid. This will help with swelling. Talk with your doctor about the risks of this shot. ‚

What drugs may be needed?

The doctor may order drugs to: ‚

Help with pain and swelling

What problems could happen?

Long-term knee pain
Weak and tight leg muscles
Arthritis
More tendon damage. Corticosteroid shots can help lower swelling of the tendon but they can also weaken the tendon. This may put you at risk for a large tear or rupture of the tendon. For this reason, these shots are not often done for this problem.

What can be done to prevent this health problem?

Warm up slowly and stretch your muscles before you work out. Use good ways to train, such as slowly adding to how far you run. Do not work out if you are overly tired. Take extra care if working out in cold weather.
Stay active and work out to keep your muscles strong and flexible.
Take breaks often when doing things that use repeat movements.
Avoid running on hard surfaces.
Wear shoes with good support. Do not go barefoot.
Keep a healthy weight so there is not extra stress on your joints. Eat a healthy diet to keep your muscles healthy.

Where can I learn more?

KidsHealth ‚
http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/bones/jumpers_knee.html ‚
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases ‚
http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Bursitis/default.asp ‚

Consumer Information Use and Disclaimer

This information is not specific medical advice and does not replace information you receive from your health care provider. This is only a brief summary of general information. It does NOT include all information about conditions, illnesses, injuries, tests, procedures, treatments, therapies, discharge instructions or life-style choices that may apply to you. You must talk with your health care provider for complete information about your health and treatment options. This information should not be used to decide whether or not to accept your health care providers advice, instructions or recommendations. Only your health care provider has the knowledge and training to provide advice that is right for you. ‚

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