Patellar tendinitis or jumper’s knee occurs in those who participate in jumping or running sports. I have also seen this injury in those going through a growth spurt.
Tendinitis is usually an overuse injury (see tendinitis blog post here), meaning the person has been running or jumping too much without slowly building up the work load or strengthening.
Anatomy of Patellar Tendon
The patellar tendon connects the quadriceps and patella to the lower leg. It helps to straighten the knee.
Tendinitis here can cause pain with sport or even just walking. If not taken care of, tears can occur but those are rare. The tendinitis can also be caused by weakness in the knee.
Signs of Patellar Tendinitis
- Pain in the tendon below the knee cap
- Swelling in the tendon
- Pain with bending or straightening the knee
- Muscle weakness in the quadriceps
Exercises:
Quad stretching on table
Half kneel hip flexor stretch
LAQ
Wall sit
Heel taps
Clamshells
More Advanced Exercises:
Jump ups/downs
Lunges
SL squats
Step ups
Bridges on ball
It is important to stretch the quadriceps and patellar tendon along with strengthening. With all of these exercises it is important to ensure proper form and build up the number you perform. You do not want to make the injury worse or not improve.
Check out this research article here for more information on patellar tendinitis.
As a PT, I will do manual work on a patient by performing soft tissue work on the patellar tendon and quadriceps. I will also stretch the patients quadriceps and hip flexors.
What Not To Do With Patellar Tendinitis
Please do not play through the pain! This is how a person becomes more susceptible to tearing the tendon.
See Someone! If you are a person with pain in the patellar tendon, seek attention from a Physical Therapist! They can help you to reduce pain and return to your sport or normal activity sooner.
There are braces out there that can help with pain from patellar tendinitis or jumper’s knee, but they are temporary. The best thing you can do is strengthen and stretch.