Patellar tendonitis
Background
- Seen in runners, basketball and volleyball players, high jumpers
Tendinopathy Types
- Patellar tendonitis
- Lateral epicondylitis (tennis elbow)
- Medial epicondylitis (golf elbow)
- Pes anserine bursitis
Clinical Features
- Pain referred to area of patellar tendon
- Pain worsened with going from sitting to standing and running (especially uphill)
- Point tenderness at distal aspect of patella or proximal part of patellar tendon
Differential Diagnosis
Knee diagnoses
Acute knee injury
- Knee dislocation
- Knee fractures
- Meniscus and ligament knee injuries
- Patella dislocation
- Patellar tendonitis
- Patellar tendon rupture
- Quadriceps tendon rupture
Nontraumatic/Subacute
- Arthritis
- Gout and Pseudogout
- Osgood-Schlatter disease
- Patellofemoral syndrome (Runner's Knee)
- Patellar tendonitis (Jumper's knee)
- Pes anserine bursitis
- Popliteal cyst (Bakers cyst)
- Prepatellar bursitis (nonseptic)
- Septic bursitis
- Septic joint
- DVT
Evaluation
- Generally a clinical diagnosis
Management
- Heat, NSAIDs, quadriceps-strengthening exercises
Disposition
- Discharge