What is Patella Tendinopathy?
Patellar tendinopathy, also referred to as Jumper’s knee or Patellar Tendinitis, is a condition that arises following increased loading of the patellar tendon at the front of the knee. The patellar tendon joins the large quadriceps muscle group to the tibia, just below the kneecap.
Tendinopathy, a term describing tendon overload, causes cellular changes within the tendon that ultimately results in tendon pain and dysfunction.
What are the symptoms of Patella Tendinopathy?
Patellar tendinopathy is characterised by pain at the front of the knee felt either at the lower border of the kneecap or within the tendon itself. The pain is usually present during activities that cause increased loading through the patellar tendon, such as jumping and squatting.
Characteristic signs and symptoms may include:
- Anterior knee pain over the patella tendon
- The pain made worse with jumping, landing or running activity and sometimes with prolonged sitting.
- The onset of pain is usually gradual and commonly related to an increase in a sports activity.
- Localised tenderness over the patella tendon
- Often the tendon feels very stiff first thing in the morning.
- The affected tendon may appear thickened in comparison to the unaffected side
What are the causes of Patella Tendinopathy?
As mentioned, patella tendinopathy will most likely occur during activities which place a significant load through the patella tendon. For this reason, patellar tendinopathy is common in volleyballers and basketballers, with up to 45% of athletes in these sports being affected. Males are up to four times more likely to develop patellar tendinopathy compared to females.
Lower limb biomechanics can play a further role in aggravation, with foot posture playing a large role in shock absorption during landing, and as a result increasing the load on the tendon.
How does Elite Foot Care Treat Patella Tendinopathy?
At Elite Foot Care we pride ourselves in ensuring you’re back on your feet, feeling fit and healthy, as soon as possible.
As patellar tendinopathy is caused by an overloading of the tendon, management involves reducing tendon loading during provocative activities. Tendon injuries, however, do not respond well to resting and hence simply doing nothing will not resolve the condition either.
Instead, a very specific exercise program should be prescribed to maintain appropriate load through the tendon and to elicit a pain-relieving response within the central nervous system. Exercises involve both isometric (sustained holds) and isotonic (slow, heavy, through range) contractions.
Further assessment of your running or jumping biomechanics will allow our podiatrists to determine whether further interventions are indicated in preventing further aggravation of the tendon.