Jumper’s Knee and Ultrasonography

Abstract

Twenty-five patients, aged between 15 and 45 years old and athletically active, presented with jumper’s knee (patellar tendinitis). By use of ultrasonographic examination, new and precise information was obtained that benefited the diagnosis, choice of treatment, and monitoring of the evolution of jumper’s knee in our patients. In 18 of the 25 patients, only one knee was affected, in 7 of the patients, both knees were affected; thus making a total of 32 painful tendons. These 25 patients were compared with a control group of 15 healthy, athletically active subjects between the ages of 25 and 35 years old.

In all of the 32 painful tendons, ultrasonographic anomalies were observed: thickening or swelling of the tendon (15 knees) appeared in acute cases; a heterogeneous structure of the tendon (24 knees); and thickening and irregularities of the tendinous envelope (8 knees).

The 15 acute patients all responded to classic conservative treatment including physical therapy and electrotherapy. Four of the remaining 10 patients were treated successfully with various conservative treatments, including deep transverse friction massage with ice. The other 6 patients were treated surgically, with tenolysis and ‘carding’ of the patellar tendon. In one patient this procedure failed, and 12 months later a second operation was performed in which the distal pole of the patella was resected and the patellar tendon reinserted into bone. Recovery was uneventful. Now, at least two years after treatment, all of the patients consider themselves healed.