Patellar tendinopathy, or “jumper’s knee,” is a common injury resulting from sports practice. Excessive load on this tendon is a predominant factor in the appearance of the pathology. However, there are other factors (biological, metabolic, hormonal, nutritional, psychological, etc.) that can cause the injury.
It is often diagnosed as “patellar tendonitis,” which refers to the first inflammatory phase of the tendon or “patellar tendinosis,” indicating the degenerative process of this same tendon.
Once the diagnosis, the causes that have caused it and the symptoms that the patient reports are known, we must put ourselves in the hands of our trusted physiotherapist to establish a conservative treatment plan.
Causes that cause patellar tendonitis.
There are several causes or contributing factors to an injury to the patellar tendon and, as we have previously mentioned, they are not always due to a mechanical pattern (this being the most common).
The most common causes of patellar tendonitis are:
Mechanical factors
- Repetitive overload: Activities that involve jumping, landing, decelerations, changes of direction.
- Improper technique: Incorrect sports gestures.
- Insufficient heating: Lack of preparation of the musculoskeletal system for the subsequent activity.
- Bad progression: Dramatically increasing the intensity, duration, or frequency of activity.
- Muscle imbalance or activation failure: Imbalances between agonist-antagonist muscles and synergist muscles. Inadequate contraction timing. Failures in stabilization.
- Insufficient rest: High work volumes without recovery time between exercises/sessions.
Biological factors
Aging and genetics: The tendon tends to lose its viscoelastic properties over time and some people are genetically more predisposed than others to tendon injuries.
Biochemical factors
Poor circulation and hormonal imbalances.
Medical factors
Metabolic diseases (diabetes) and use of medication (fluoroquinolones).
Nutritional factors
Nutritional deficiencies (vitamin C, vitamin D, collagen…).
Psychosocial factors
Stress or lack of sleep.
Systemic factors
Chronic inflammatory diseases.
Jumper's knee symptoms.
The symptoms of patellar tendinopathy can vary depending on the phase it is in, the most common being:
- Anterior knee pain: It is located just below the kneecap, at the tip of a finger. It may be affected at its insertion into the kneecap, at its insertion into the tibia or in the tendon body itself. It usually increases with tension and palpation.
- Rigidity: Especially in the morning, in the cold.
- Inflammation and increased temperature: Especially after the activity.
Treatment for patellar tendinopathy.
From a physiotherapy point of view, the pathology of the patellar tendon will be determined by the clinical history, previously carried out by the physiotherapist and the moment of evolution of the injury.
At Evolution Clinic we opt for a treatment aimed at reducing pain through manual techniques, as well as high technology (diathermy and neuromodulation) and load management through therapeutic exercises individually tailored to the patient.
Exercises and recommendations for the patellar tendon.
Our physiotherapists, experts in pain treatment and physical activity, are responsible for developing an active work plan adapted to the subject and the stage of the tendinopathy present.
The exercises chosen for the recovery of patellar tendinopathy will focus on biomechanical improvement and correction of imbalances, flexibility and joint mobility, and muscle strengthening.
We leave you two exercise guides that will be useful to stretch and mobilize the area:
Below we leave you a short video from a colleague who can help you in your recovery, without forgetting to put yourself in the hands of a sports physiotherapist to study your specific case and achieve optimal rehabilitation.
