Patellar Tendinitis is a cause of knee pain. The patellar tendon attaches the knee cap to the shin bone, to the tibia. And patellar tendinitis is an inflammation of that tendon. It’s also commonly referred to as "jumper’s knee" because a lot of people who do - who participate in sports that involve a lot of jumping such as basketball or volleyball tend to develop or can tend to be more prone to developing patellar tendinitis. Definitely, though it’s important to always remember that you don’t have to be in an activity that involves jumping to develop patellar tendinitis, it can happen - you know - at any point.

Addressing patellar tendinitis often rests on physical therapy, and addressing the entire kinetic chain and the biomechanics. It often revolves around eccentric strengthening of the quadriceps, but really, it’s important to look at the individual and the individual’s biomechanical issues, whether or not there’s tight hip flexors, tight iliotibial band, and then addressing the biomechanics to take the pressure off the tendon to strengthen the quadriceps so that it both goes away and also stays away.

Patellar tendinitis is a common sports injury involving inflammation of the patellar tendon in the knee joint. This video provides an overview of tendinitis in the patellar tendon, also known as "jumper's knee."

Dr. Grant Cooper is a physiatrist with several years of clinical experience, specializing in the non-surgical treatment of spine, joint, and muscle pain. He is the Co-Founder and Co-Director of Princeton Spine and Joint Center and the Co-Director of the Interventional Spine Program. Dr. Cooper has authored and edited 15 medical texts.

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