Patellar Tendinopathy

This condition commonly presents with anterior knee pain at the lower border of the kneecap (the inferior pole of the patella). Tendinopathy of the patellar tendon is also known as ‘jumpers knee’ due to its close association with the athletic population. For a long time, we called tendinopathies ‘tendinitis’ in a similar way to other tendon issues such as Achilles tendonitis, tennis elbow and golfers elbow. This was because we believed there was a lot of inflammation involved in the condition leading to treatments such as steroid injections and strong anti-inflammatory medication (such as Diclofenac or Naproxen). Over the past 15 years research has shown that there is not as much inflammation as we thought, and tendon degeneration seems to be a key element.

Treatments such as steroid injections are now not advised as they appear to cause much more harm than good in tendon issues. Our understanding of the best way to manage tendon problems is developing rapidly and it’s not unusual for patients to be working on outdated and less effective treatment approaches. We review the information on our website continually to ensure we are giving the best advice by integrating current research evidence with our clinical expertise.

Symptoms usually develop alongside an increase in load or activity and therefore most prevalent in young sporty adults. The power needed for jumping, landing, cutting, and pivoting when participating in these sports requires the patellar tendon to repetitively store and release energy, placing considerable load through the tendon ⁽⁷⁾. Energy storage and release (like a spring) from the long tendons is vital to us as this can reduce the energy consumption through human movement. Repetition of this spring-like activity over a single exercise session, or with insufficient rest to enable repair & remodelling between sessions, can induce pathology and a change in the tendon’s mechanical properties, which is a risk factor for developing symptoms ^{(7, 4)}.

In the general population, it affects less than 1% of people.

It is more common in young athletes (between the age of 15-30) who are heavily involved in sports such as basketball, volleyball, athletic jump events, tennis, and football. In this higher risk category, less than 6% of patients with knee pain may present with patellar tendinopathy.

A musculoskeletal physiotherapist can provide you with an accurate and timely diagnosis by obtaining a detailed history of your symptoms. A series of physical tests might be performed as part of your assessment to rule out other structures involved, get a greater understanding of your mobility and strength, and to help facilitate an accurate diagnosis.

Your physiotherapist will want to know how your condition is affecting your day-to-day so that your treatment can be tailored to your needs and will mean personalised goals can be established. Intermittent re-assessment will ascertain if you are making the best progress towards your goals and will allow adjustments to your treatment to be made. Imaging like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or ultrasound scans are usually not required to achieve a good working diagnosis, but in unusual presentations, they may be warranted.

As part of your treatment, your physiotherapist will help you understand the condition and what needs to be implemented to effectively manage your patellar tendinopathy. This will include activity modification strategies and useful treatments reducing discomfort.

A rehabilitation plan developed by an experienced physiotherapist plays a key role in the recovery of this condition. However, it is important to have a realistic expectation regarding the recovery time frame for a return to full capacity and sport.

For patients wanting to achieve a high level of function or return to sport, we would encourage a consultation with a physiotherapist as you will likely require further progression beyond the advanced rehabilitation stage. Before returning to sport a rehabilitation program should incorporate plyometric based exercises this might include things like bounding, cutting, and sprinting exercises ^{(5, 7)}.  

As part of a comprehensive treatment approach, your musculoskeletal physiotherapist may also use a variety of other pain relieving treatments to support symptom relief and recovery. Whilst recovering you might benefit from a further assessment to ensure you are making progress and establish the appropriate progression of treatment.  Ongoing support and advice will allow you to self-manage and prevent future re-occurrence. 

Podiatry referral to address gross biomechanical alignment issues may be helpful in the short term. Although there is a lack of evidence of any long-term value for tendon issues.

Injections of steroid (cortisone injections) are not recommended for tendon issues as research shows they are likely to provide little or no long-term benefit and have been linked to tendon damage and even rupture in some cases

Surgery – this could be the last option if the patient has exhausted all other pathways. Surgery has poor outcome when done in less active patients and is now carried out in very few cases.