What Is Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper's Knee)?
Patellar tendonitis, also called “jumper's knee,” is damage to the tendon that connects the kneecap to the shinbone.
The patellar tendon along with the quadriceps muscle and tendon allow you to straighten your knee.
Patellar tendonitis causes
Patellar tendonitis is an overuse injury due to repeated stress on the tendon. This causes tiny tears in the tendon.
With rest, your body can repair the tendon tears in the knee.
Without resting the stress to your knee, your body can't repair the tendon tears fast enough. This causes inflammation and pain.
In rare cases, an acute injury to the tendon that hasn't had time to heal can cause patellar tendonitis or jumper's knee.
Patellar tendonitis risk factors
Athletes who play jumping sports — such as basketball or volleyball — have a high risk of getting patellar tendonitis.
Running and soccer can also lead to knee tendon tears.
How to prevent patellar tendonitis
Here are a few steps you can take to prevent patellar tendonitis:
- Conditioning properly.
- Adding new or higher impact activity slowly.
- Warming up and stretching before exercise.
- Wearing the right shoes for your sport.
Learn more about patellar tendonitis and knee pain
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