Patellar Tendonitis

Tendonitis refers to the inflammation of the tendon of the muscle. This is different than injury to the muscle belly itself. Tendonitis can happen to any tendon in the body and typically develops as the result of overuse of a muscle. The patella tendon is the tendon that connects the kneecap (the patella) to the shinbone (the tibia). When this tendon becomes inflamed it is referred to as patellar tendonitis. This tendon tends to get inflamed from overuse involving aggressive weight bearing. It is typically referred to as "jumper's knee". Patellar Tendonitis typically affects athletes and occurs as a result of a sports injury. This condition is especially prevalent in active younger individuals who play sports and it is especially prevalent in basketball players and volleyball players. When this condition develops in adolescents it may be referred to as Osgood-Schlatter Disease. Adolescents are also more prone to patellar tendonitis because there is a growth plate on the tibia in an area called the tibial tubercle right near the patella tendon. If the quadricep is tight or weak the tendon can rub over the growth plate causing pain and inflammation of the tendon. Once this develops patients may report pain below their kneecap and have symptoms with jumping, running or even walking. Physical therapy tends to have excellent results with this condition. In physical therapy we work to promote blood flow to the area of the tendon to allow it to heal. We can do this via dry needling, soft tissue massage, and stretching of the quadricep muscle. Once the pain starts to reduce we work on strengthening the leg (especially the quadricep muscle) because this will allow the muscle to absorb more of the force as opposed to the tendon when jumping, running, and walking. Treatment of this condition tends to get excellent results in physical therapy. Please see photos below for examples of how we treat patellar tendonitis in our clinic. If you would like to schedule an appointment please reach out to us.