Jumpers Knee (Patellar tendinopathy)

The patella tendon / ligament joins the kneecap (patella) to the shin bone or tibia (video). This tendon is extremely strong and allows the quadriceps muscle group to straighten the leg.  The quadriceps actively straighten the knee in jumping to propel the individual off the ground as well as functioning in stabilizing their landing.
As such this tendon comes under a large amount of stress especially in individuals who actively put extra strain on the knee joint such as those who regularly perform sports that involve direction changing and jumping movements.  With repeated strain, micro-tears as well as collagen degeneration may occur as a result in the tendon.
This is known as patellar tendinopathy or Jumpers Knee. It should be distinguished from patella tendonitis (tendinitis) as this condition indicates an inflammation of the tendon whereas tendinopathy is more about degeneration of the tendon.

What are the symptoms of jumpers knee?

• Pain at the bottom and front of the kneecap especially when pressing in or palpating (video).
• Aching and stiffness after exertion.
• Pain when you contract the quadriceps muscles.
• The affected tendon may appear larger than the unaffected side.
• May be associated with poor Vastus medialis obliquus (VMO) function
• Calf weakness may be present