Siriraj Medical Journal (Mar 2024)
A Narrative Review Current Physical Therapy Management for Patellar Tendinopathy
Abstract
Patellar tendinopathy, or jumper’s knee, is a common chronic musculoskeletal disease in the tendon that occurs in lower-extremities injuries. It is common in athletes, particularly sports that integrate frequent jumping and landing, such as volleyball (45%), basketball (32%), and distance running (14%), Patellar tendinopathy is usually difficult for such athletes to manage during the active sports season. This review article is recommended for physical therapists for the conservative treatment in competition season and post-operative rehabilitation of patellar tendon injuries. This review article discusses a new intervention for physiotherapy treatment for Patellar tendinopathy that can support a significant improvement in performance in sport and functional daily activity. The ultimate aim is to develop a clinical practice recommendation for physical therapists for the conservative treatment and post-operative rehabilitation of patellar tendon injuries. This review article found that physical therapy is popularly used to treat Patellar tendinopathy and effective interventions consist of exercise, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, high-energy laser therapy, elastic therapeutic taping, and education for prevention of issues. The post-operative rehabilitation protocol for patella tendon injuries aims to decrease pain, improve the range of motion, and ensure early ambulation and a quick return to sport, though in a time period that is decided on a case-by-case basis depending on the person and the sport. Post-operative rehabilitation is highly important for ensuring a safe return to sport and good quality of life.
