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Patellar
tendinitis rehabilitation
Rehabilitation exercises
Alternative exercises
When can I return to my sport or activity?
How long will the effects of the injury last?
When surgery is required
Read more about patellar
tendinitis
Patellar tendinitis
rehabilitation
As an athlete, your number one concern is getting back to full strength
as soon as possible so that you can return to training and competition.
That is why appropriate rehabilitation is extremely important. Rehabilitation
for patellar tendinitis often includes the following:
- reduce activity
during the acute phase
- ice injury multiple
times per day
- elevate the affected
leg except when necessary to walk
- use anti-inflammatory
medications such as ibuprofen to reduce inflammation and speed up recovery
Although rest, nonsteroidal
anti-inflammatory drugs, and avoiding the activity that caused the injury
are the main steps for rehabilitating patellar tendinitis, more serious
conditions may require cortisone injections, and in some cases, surgery.
Your doctor may also prescribe physical therapy to stretch and strengthen
the quadriceps muscle, which connects to the patella, to help maintain
muscle strength, flexibility, and endurance.
Rehabilitation
exercises
The following exercises, which place no extreme mechanical or weight-bearing
stress on the knee, patellar tendon, or kneecap and use full range of
knee motion, can be very effective during rehabilitation:
- Knee extension
Use a leg extension resistance training machine. Begin the exercise
seated with the knees at as nearly full flexion as the machine being
used will permit. Start with that amount of resistance which can be
overcome with no pain. Fully extend the knees and hold this position
for 3 to 5 seconds. Slowly return to the beginning position, rest for
5 seconds, then repeat this cycle for a total of 10 times. Increase
resistance from one training session to the next as pain permits.
- Knee flexion
Use a leg flexion resistance training machine. Begin the exercise laying
face downward with the knee as extended as the machine will allow. Start
with an amount of resistance that can be overcome with no pain. Fully
flex the knees and hold for 3 to 5 seconds. Slowly return to the beginning
position and rest for 5 seconds. Repeat this cycle for a total of 10
times. Increase resistance from one training session to the next as
pain permits.
During rehabilitation
from prepatellar bursitis, you'll need to maintain strength of the thigh
muscles. Here's an exercise for this purpose that does not put undue stress
upon the knee:
- Half-knee bends
Stand with back flat against a wall, arms at sides, feet at shoulder
width, and heels about a foot from the wall. Allow the knees to bend
slowly, lowering the body weight until the knees are flexed at a 45-degree
angle, or until pain intervenes. Immediately return slowly to the upright
position and rest for 5 seconds. Repeat this cycle for a total of 10
to 15 times.
Alternative exercises
During the period when normal training should be avoided, alternative
exercises may be used. These activities should not require any actions
that create or intensify pain at the site of injury. They include:
When can I return
to my sport or activity?
The goal of rehabilitation is to return you to your sport or activity
as soon as is safely possible. If you return too soon you may worsen your
injury, which could lead to permanent damage. Everyone recovers from injury
at a different rate. Return to your activity is determined by how soon
your patellar tendinitis recovers, not by how many days or weeks it has
been since your injury occurred.
Generally, full use
of the affected knee should be delayed until all symptoms subside. In
the interim, activities that place no pressure on the knees, such as swimming
or cycling, can maintain cardiovascular
fitness.
You may safely return
to your sport or activity when, starting from the top of the list and
progressing to the end, each of the following is true:
- the knee can bend
and straighten without pain
- you are able to
jump on the injured leg without pain
- you are able to
jog in a straight line without pain
- swelling is gone
- normal strength
of the quadriceps muscles has returned
How long will the
effects of the injury last?
Patellar tendinitis caused by overuse often resolves after two weeks if
you refrain from the activity that caused the problem and use the proper
rehabilitation techniques. In more serious cases, symptoms may last months
and may require surgery.
When surgery is
required
Keep in mind that if your patellar tendinitis requires surgery, the damaged
knee needs time to heal before exercise can begin. While in the hospital,
patients start partial weight bearing with exercises to re-establish knee
joint mobility and normal gait. In these cases, you may be required to
wear a brace and use crutches for the first six weeks.
A physical therapy
program usually begins with range-of-motion and resistive exercises, then
incorporates power, aerobic and muscular endurance, flexibility, and coordination
drills.
Surgery may be necessary
when there is:
- advanced inflammatory
damage to the tendon
- little or no response
to other treatments over a 6-12 month period
During surgery, the
damaged portion of the patella tendon will be removed through a small
incision in the skin. Eventually, scar tissue will form, completing the
repair to this damaged area.
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