Patellar Tendinitis (aka Jumper’s Knee) Treatment in Westminster Denver Colorado
Overview
● Patellar tendinitis is an injury to the tendon
connecting your kneecap (patella) to your shinbone. The patellar tendon works
with the muscles at the front of your thigh to extend your knee so that you can
kick, run and jump.
● Patellar tendinitis, also known as jumper’s
knee, is most common in athletes whose sports involve frequent jumping — such
as basketball and volleyball. However, even people who don’t participate in
jumping sports can get patellar tendinitis.
Symptoms
● Pain is the first symptom of patellar
tendinitis, usually between your kneecap and where the tendon attaches to your
shinbone (tibia).
● Initially, you may only feel pain in your knee
as you begin physical activity or just after an intense workout. Over time, the
pain worsens and starts to interfere with playing your sport. Eventually, the
pain interferes with daily movements such as climbing stairs or rising from a
chair.
When to see a doctor
● For knee pain, try self-care measures first,
such as icing the area and temporarily reducing or avoiding activities that
trigger your symptoms.
● Call your doctor if your pain:
● Continues or worsens
● Interferes with your ability to perform
routine daily activities
● Is associated with swelling or redness about
the joint
Causes
●
Patellar tendinitis is a common overuse injury, caused by
repeated stress on your patellar tendon. The stress results in tiny tears in
the tendon, which your body attempts to repair.
● But as the tears in the tendon multiply, they
cause pain from inflammation and weakening of the tendon. When this tendon
damage persists for more than a few weeks, it’s called tendinopathy.
Risk factors
A combination of factors may contribute to the development of
patellar tendinitis, including:
● Physical activity. Running and jumping are most commonly associated with patellar
tendinitis. Sudden increases in how hard or how often you engage in the
activity also add stress to the tendon, as can changing your running shoes.
● Tight leg muscles. Tight thigh muscles (quadriceps) and hamstrings, which run up
the back of your thighs, can increase strain on your patellar tendon.
● Muscular imbalance. If some muscles in your legs are much stronger than others, the
stronger muscles could pull harder on your patellar tendon. This uneven pull
could cause tendinitis.
● Chronic illness. Some illnesses disrupt blood flow to the knee, which weakens
the tendon. Examples include kidney failure, autoimmune diseases such as lupus
or rheumatoid arthritis and metabolic diseases such as diabetes.
Complications
If you try to work through your pain, ignoring
your body’s warning signs, you could cause increasingly larger tears in the
patellar tendon. Knee pain and reduced function can persist if you don’t tend
to the problem, and you may progress to the more serious patellar tendinopathy.
Prevention
To reduce your risk of developing patellar tendinitis, take
these steps:
● Don’t play through pain. As soon as you notice exercise-related knee
pain, ice the area and rest. Until your knee is pain-free, avoid activities
that put stress on your patellar tendon.
● Strengthen your muscles. Strong thigh muscles are better able to
handle the stresses that can cause patellar tendinitis. Eccentric exercises,
which involve lowering your leg very slowly after extending your knee, are
particularly helpful.
● Improve your technique. To be sure you’re using your body correctly,
consider taking lessons or getting professional instructions when starting a
new sport or using exercise equipment.
Diagnosis
During the exam, your doctor may apply
pressure to parts of your knee to determine where you hurt. Usually, pain from
patellar tendinitis is on the front part of your knee, just below your kneecap.
Imaging tests
Your doctor may suggest one or more of the following imaging
tests:
● X-rays. X-rays help to exclude other bone problems that can cause knee
pain.
● Ultrasound. This test uses sound waves to create an image of your knee,
revealing tears in your patellar tendon.
● Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to
create detailed images that can reveal subtle changes in the patellar tendon.
Our
expert providers are experienced and skilled at treating patellar tendinitis
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