Patellar Tendinitis (Jumper’s Knee)
Patellar Tendinitis (Jumper’s Knee) Treatment in Portland, OR, Bellevue, WA, and Tempe, AZ
Knee pain related to activity can be caused by patellar tendinitis, commonly known as jumper’s knee. Reflex Knee Specialists provides non-surgical knee treatments for knee pain caused by a range of injuries and conditions, including jumper’s knee. Patients in Oregon, Washington, and Arizona can access comprehensive and customized care focused solely on the knees. Learn more about how to find relief from jumper’s knee with the treatment options we offer at Reflex Knee Specialists.
What Is Jumper’s Knee?
Patellar tendinitis, commonly referred to as jumper’s knee, is a knee condition that affects the patellar tendon, which connects the kneecap (patella) to the shin bone (tibia). Jumper’s knee occurs when the patellar tendon develops small tears, usually from overuse. Tears in the tendon cause pain, discomfort, stiffness, and swelling, especially during activities. Patients typically experience pain over the front of the knee, just below the kneecap.
Jumper’s knee generally starts as an acute condition with mild inflammation and swelling. However, it can develop into a chronic condition if a patient repeatedly overexerts their patellar tendon. If the jumper’s knee goes untreated, it will gradually progress until the pain intensifies, interfering with movement and athletic performance. Therefore, patients with long-lasting knee pain that seems activity-related should talk to their medical provider about jumper’s knee.
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Causes and Risk Factors of Jumper’s Knee
Patellar tendinitis is referred to as jumper’s knee because it is common in athletes who play jumping sports, like basketball, volleyball, track and field, skiing, gymnastics, and more. These sports require a lot of repetitive movements that are harsh on the knees, such as jumping, landing, cutting, and accelerating. The tendon tears can result from overuse during these activities, during a single exercise session, or if there is a failure to receive sufficient rest between sessions. Certain risk factors may increase a person’s chances of developing jumper’s knee, including:
- Gender: Jumper’s knee is more common in males.
- Level of athletic performance: Jumper’s knee is more common in athletes who perform or train at a competitive or elite level than in recreational athletes.
- Type of activity: People who do strenuous activities like basketball, volleyball, and gymnastics are more susceptible to developing jumper’s knee than those who do not.
- Weight: People who are overweight have more force on their knees than those who are not, increasing their chances of tendon tears.
Even though athletes who perform repetitive movements are more likely to develop jumper’s knee, people who do not participate in jumping sports can also get it.
How Is Jumper’s Knee Diagnosed?
Patients who visit a knee specialist with activity-related pain will often undergo diagnostic testing to determine the cause and how to treat it best. Diagnostic tests typically include imaging scans like ultrasounds or an MRI to show whether the patient’s patellar tendon has tears or thickening. Reflex Knee Specialists offers:
- Comprehensive knee evaluations: These comprehensive evaluations include a physical exam and diagnostic ultrasound images to identify what knee condition is causing problems.
- Diagnostic ultrasound knee assessments: The patellar tendon is visualized very clearly on ultrasound. Ultrasound imaging allows our providers to evaluate the tissue inside the tendon so they can pinpoint where the tendon is injured and how extensive the injury is.
These diagnostic exams help diagnose jumper’s knee or other conditions that cause similar symptoms, like bursitis, a meniscus tear, or Osgood-Schlatter disease, an overuse condition that causes a painful bump and swelling below the knee.
Non-Surgical Treatment Options for Jumper’s Knee
Most cases of patellar tendinitis heal over time with conservative treatment options. Since jumper’s knee is related to repetitive activities, with symptoms often worsening during activity, the main treatment method is to stop the specific activity until the tendon can heal. This restriction is temporary until the pain subsides and the tendon starts healing. As this happens, patients can begin physical therapy to regain muscle strength and prevent symptoms from returning.
Other conservative jumper’s knee treatments to help patients manage pain and symptoms are available, and they include:
- Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDs), like ibuprofen or naproxen, to relieve pain
- Resting to let the tendon tears heal
- Elevating or icing the knee to help reduce swelling
- Doing adequate warm-ups and stretching when returning to exercise
- Wearing a knee braceor patellar tendon strap to help support the knee and reduce strain on the tendon
For patients with severe or chronic jumper’s knee that doesn’t improve with conservative treatment, specialists may consider platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy to accelerate healing. In rare cases where conservative treatment options do not provide significant pain relief, surgery may be a treatment option.
Why Choose Reflex Knee Specialists?
Reflex Knee Specialists’ medical providers are focused solely on knees — something few providers can say. We treat only one joint. This way, we can provide the highest quality of personalized medical care to our patients. Our medical providers are trained to provide innovative, non-surgical treatments for knee pain to prevent unnecessary knee surgeries. There are plenty of reasons patients choose Reflex Knee Specialists for their knee-focused care, including:
- Non-surgical treatments can help patients save money and reduce long recovery periods by avoiding costly invasive surgery.
- Cutting-edge ultrasound guidance is used in 100% of our procedures to ensure medications injected into the knee make it into the joint (without guidance using either ultrasound or fluoroscopy, the medication does not make it into the joint in 25-30% of cases).
- Accessible appointments mean there is no two-month waiting list toschedule an evaluation.
- Our friendly and knowledgeable office staff provides exceptional patient experiences.
- We have offices in Portland, OR, Bellevue, WA, and Tempe, AZ.
- We accept most major insurance carriers.
At Reflex Knee Specialists, everything we do is designed to relieve our patients’ knee pain, improve their mobility, and help them get back to a pain-free life. Educating our patients about all their treatment options can help them make choices that align with their personal health goals.
Frequently Asked Questions About Jumper’s Knee
How common is jumper’s knee?
According to a cross-sectional study on the prevalence of jumper’s knee across different sports, approximately 45% of elite jumping athletes and up to 14% of recreational jumping athletes will have jumper’s knee symptoms at some point.
What are the stages of jumper’s knee?
Physicians classify jumper’s knee by stage according to the onset of pain regarding physical activity. These stages are:
- Pain after sports activity
- Pain at the beginning of sports activity that disappears with warm-up and sometimes reappears with fatigue
- Pain at rest and during activity, along with the deterioration of performance
- Rupture of the tendon
What are other risk factors for jumper’s knee?
Several factors can cause increased strain on the patellar tendon and predispose patients to jumper’s knee. These factors include quadriceps and hamstring tightness, abnormal patellar height, previous inflammation of the knee, and quadriceps strength.
Can you prevent jumper’s knee?
Since the main causes of jumper’s knee are overuse and not warming up properly, preventative measures can include warming up correctly by stretching before practice or play. It can also involve allowing time for rest and recovery and maintaining proper thigh and knee strength and flexibility.
What is eccentric training for jumper’s knee?
Eccentric training is a type of training that involves gradually increasing the strain on the tendon in a controlled way. It has shown promising results in rehabilitating jumper’s knee, having equally effective results as surgical treatment. Patients should try eccentric training for 12 weeks before considering any surgical treatment for jumper’s knee.
When is surgery required for jumper’s knee?
Although specialists can treat most cases of jumper’s knee without surgical treatment, surgery may be beneficial for patients with partial tendon tears or stage three patellar tendinitis, where the pain continues during rest and activities. It is also considered the last resort for chronic, stubborn cases that do not respond to conservative treatments or platelet-rich plasma (PRP).
Book a Consultation With a Knee Specialist Today
Patients suffering from activity-related knee pain should ask their medical specialist about jumper’s knee. Reflex Knee Specialists provide non-surgical treatments for knee pain and its causes for patients in Portland, OR, Bellevue, WA, and Tempe, AZ. To find non-surgical relief for jumper’s knee pain, call 503-719-6783 or contact us at Reflex Knee Specialists. You can book an appointment with a knee specialist today.
