Here at Dynamic Osteopaths we treat every condition with the aim of a potential solution.
Knee tendonitis otherwise known as jumper’s knee is a chronic injury of the patellar tendon (knee cap) of the knee. It is often called patellar tendonitis because there is inflammation of the tendon and most commonly occurs at its origin just below the kneecap. This chronic injury results in a degree of degeneration of the patellar tendon, making it difficult to treat.
The patellar tendon plays a crucial role in transmitting the forces generated by the muscles in the front on the thigh (quadriceps) to the tibia so that the leg can be straightened and support our weight with walking or jumping. It is essential for normal stability and function of the knee.
Anyone can get a inflammation of this tendon, but it is a particularly common problem in athletes. Often very small tearing and injury of the tendon can occur with repetitive action of the knee. Jumping is not exclusively necessary to stress the tendon; a jumper’s knee has been reported in virtually every sport.
When you suffer from knee tendonitis you usually notice the gradual onset of pain. Most often you will have pain in the front of your knee, pain localised below the knee, pain when jumping or hopping, pain with lifting or bending. Quite often the pain is relieved by rest but returns with activity.
Tendons generally have a poor blood supply and combined with the stress of day-to-day activities and stressful exercise, they do not easily heal from damage. As a result of the slow healing of tendons, the symptoms occurring at a knee tendon injury can last for a number of weeks, months, or sometimes, they can persist for up to years.
Common treatments fo knee tendonitis
• Activity restriction • Icing after efforts • Physical Rehabilitation • Thigh muscle stretching • Patellar tendon strap • Recover PRP treatment • Surgery
Platelet rich Plasma (PRP) treatment
Blood consists of Red Blood Cells, White Blood Cells, Plasma, and Platelets. Platelets are known to be responsible for blood clotting and releasing growth factors. Growth factors, released from platelets influence the biological processes necessary for the repair of soft tissues, such as tendon, ligaments or joints following acute traumatic or overuse injuries.
Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP) offers a promising natural successful treatment to accelerate the healing of tendon injuries. PRP prepared with us here at Dynamic Osteopaths in Solihull is blood plasma with concentrated platelets and white blood cells containing high amounts of bioactive proteins, like the important growth factors. PRP injection therapy offers a technique to accelerate healing of your knee tendon injury with good clinical outcomes, and major advantage is that the treatment is completely natural.
PRP treatment for knee tendonitis
A 20ml sample of blood is withdrawn from your arm. The blood is then transferred in a unique tube that is placed in a centrifuge that spins the blood for up to 10 minutes. This process removes all ‘unwanted components’ of blood that are not primarily responsible for healing. The PRP is then collected. PRP prepared with our technique (containing platelets and growth factors) is ready to be injected back into the tendon at the site of the chronic injury.
After treatment
After the patellar tendon PRP treatment procedure, you should follow a customised rehabilitation protocol. Steadily restoring function and then optimising strength and conditioning. Progressive exercises should be started about 5–7 days after the procedure.
Patellla tendonitis Rehabilitation
Cool your knee with icing a couple of times per day for 20 minutes for the first day if you need to. Use crutches for 2 days, if you need to again for partial weight bearing on injected side.
The day after the injection start performing light quadriceps exercises according to your health care practitioner advise.
Isometric Quadriceps Exercises
Sit on the floor with your legs outstretched and your hands supporting you lightly at the side.
Push your knees down to the floor, tightening your quads as you do so. Make sure your kneecaps go tight. Keep it for 5 seconds. Repeat x 3.
Start exercising your knee using a bike program 1 week after treatment.
Start with an eccentric (lengthening) knee cap tendon strengthening program 2-4 weeks after treatment according to your health care practitioner’s advise.
Eccentric Patellar Tendon Strengthening Program
Slowly take your treated knee down to a bend of about 90 degrees and keep the knee bent. Put your other foot on the ground to share your weight. Repeat ten times.
This must be done with correct guidance from us here at Dynamic Osteopaths. If this is not done properly it can cause further damage.
Following on from basic contraction exercises to active mobility exercises will then develop further onto dynamic functional exercises. The aim is not just to heal and improve the tendon but furthermore to work preventatively!
An optimal treatment of your jumper’s knee
The combination of the Dynamic Osteopaths PRP injection technique together with the post treatment program may give you the optimal treatment aiming to restore your jumper’s knee into a healthy knee without pain. When treatment is successful you may be able to return to all activities you were restrained from due to your jumper’s knee.
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