Patellar tendinitis
Human disease / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Patellar tendinopathy?
Summarize this article for a 10 year old
Patellar tendinitis, also known as jumper's knee, is an overuse injury of the tendon that straightens the knee.[1] Symptoms include pain in the front of the knee.[1] Typically the pain and tenderness is at the lower part of the kneecap, though the upper part may also be affected.[2] Generally there is no pain when the person is at rest.[2] Complications may include patellar tendon rupture.[2]
Patellar tendinitis | |
---|---|
Other names | quadriceps tendinopathy, patellar tendinopathy, jumper's knee, patellar tendinosis, patellar tendinitis |
Location of the pain in patellar tendinitis | |
Specialty | Orthopedics, sports medicine |
Symptoms | Pain at the front of the knee[1] |
Complications | Patellar tendon rupture[2] |
Risk factors | Jumping sports, being overweight[1] |
Diagnostic method | Based on symptoms and examination[2] |
Differential diagnosis | Chondromalacia patella, Osgood-Schlatter disease, patellofemoral syndrome, infrapatellar bursitis[1][2] |
Treatment | Rest, physical therapy[2] |
Prognosis | Recovery can be slow[2] |
Frequency | 14% of athletes[1] |
Risk factors include being involved in athletics and being overweight.[1] It is particularly common in athletes who are involved in jumping sports such as basketball and volleyball.[1][2] Other risk factors include sex, age, occupation, and physical activity level.[3] It is increasingly more likely to be developed with increasing age.[3] The underlying mechanism involves small tears in the tendon connecting the kneecap with the shinbone.[2] Diagnosis is generally based on symptoms and examination.[2] Other conditions that can appear similar include infrapatellar bursitis, chondromalacia patella and patellofemoral syndrome.[1][2]
Treatment often involves resting the knee and physical therapy.[2] Evidence for treatments, including rest, however is poor.[4][5] Recovery can take months and persist over years.[6][7][8][2] It is relatively common with about 14% of athletes currently affected; however research reflects that more than half of athletes with this injury end their careers as a result.[9][8][1] Males are more commonly affected than females.[2] The term "jumper's knee" was coined in 1973.[2]