The athlete must understand that there's no point in continuing to produce his effort if the pain is still there. It's important to quantifier the pain on a scale of 0 to 10. If sporting activity produces discomfort with pain that falls between 3 and 6 on the scale, it's desirable that all sporting activity be stopped. Initially, painkillers can be used alone, with limited use of anti-inflammatories. The mainstay of treatment should be physiotherapy.
Cold → placing an ice bladder over the patellar tendon should be used within 24-48 hours of an effort, applications should not exceed 20 minutes / hour. The frequency is reduced as soon as the pain subsides.
Rest → Simply resting the joint can sometimes suffire
Strapping → can reduce pain and stress on the tendon. The strapping must surround the patella, continue below it and redirect the forces acting on the tendon.
Anti-inflammatories → they can be prescribed topically or in tablet form. IBUPROFENE-type anti-inflammatories are preferred.
Mesotherapy → represents another treatment method with bénéfiques results.
Physiotherapy → includes the use of ultrasound, lasers, electrotherapy, and ionization afin to reduce pain and promote the healing process.
Kinetotherapy → remains the most important pillar of treatment for these tendinitises. Muscle strengthening balances the forces around the patella. Muscle stretching improves joint pressure.
Prevention plays an important role in treatment; trainers, athletes, staffs accompanying the athlete need to know methods to avoid tendon irritation during training.
Surgical treatment is rarely necessary. We effect a "combing" of the patellar tendon which stimulates the tendons' healing capacity with tendon revascularization. The damaged, scarring part of the tendon is removed. Tendon remodeling is suffisant for restoration of normal function.
Ultrasound can often be suffisante in confirming tendon involvement.
MRI is requested when the symptomatology is not quite classic, and tendon lesions are mainly located on the deep surface of the tendon.
X-rays and CT scans are necessary to complete the workup, in search of contributing factors.
Tendonitis sometimes develops into tendinosis, or even chronic tendonitis, when areas of degeneration (nodules) form in the tendon mass.
The pain is located just at the tip of the patella and increases when the thigh muscles are extended.
A swelling develops in the patellar tendon just below the kneecap; the patient may also describe burning or heat sensations.
There are several degrees of damage:
Over time, the knee becomes painful all over, with inflammation of surrounding structures (hoffite, etc.).
Inflammatory tendon lesions are known as "tendonitis".
Tendinitis of the patellar tendon remains the most common.
Patellar tendonitis or Jumper's Knee.
The patellar tendon is a structure that connects the patella to the tibia; with the help of the patellar tendon and the contraction of the quadriceps muscle, we obtain knee extension.
This type of tendonitis is particularly common in sports involving sudden contractions of the quadriceps muscle. This results in sudden tensioning of the tendon, for example when jumping. Repeated stress will produce small ruptures in the tendon. The human body is usually able to heal these small ruptures. Healing is accompanied by inflammation. Tendonitis is therefore a stress injury, caused by overuse.
In effet, the tensile load on the patellar tendon represents up to 7 times body weight in soccer players when shooting, and 9 -11 times body weight in volleyball players when jumping to hit. Other sports are also prone to tendonitis: basketball, volleyball, soccer, jogging, squash, tennis, athletics with high jumps, obstacle courses...
The cause of tendonitis is well explained by the 3-T rule (too often, too long, too fast).
Other intrinsic factors can also contribute to the development of tendonitis. These include poor alignment of the foot and ankle, flat feet, rotational disorders of the tibia, difference in length of the lower limbs, exaggerated deviation of the knee...