Overview
what it is and why it mattersPatellar tendinopathy, also called jumper's knee, is wear-and-tear pain in the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shin. Every time you jump, land, or accelerate hard, that tendon takes a big load. Done over and over, the tiny damage from each rep starts to outpace the body's ability to repair it. The tendon's fibers get disorganized and tender, and it stops tolerating the loads it used to handle without complaint.
It is most common in basketball players, volleyball players, and high jumpers: anyone whose sport revolves around explosive jumping. Caught early it responds well to a structured loading program. Left to drift, it can become chronic and start cutting careers short.
Symptoms
what you may noticePain that pinpoints to the bottom edge of your kneecap, right where the patellar tendon begins. It usually starts as stiffness or aching after a hard practice, then progresses to pain at the beginning of activity that warms up and fades, only to return after you cool down.
As the tendon worsens, the warm-up relief shrinks and the pain starts interfering with performance. Jumping does not feel explosive, and landing stings. In advanced cases the tendon hurts during daily activities like climbing stairs or getting out of a chair.
Diagnosis
exam first, imaging secondPain in the front of the knee that pinpoints to the lower edge of the kneecap, exactly where the patellar tendon attaches. Pressing on that spot reproduces it. The classic pattern: hurts at the start of activity, eases as you warm up, then comes back after you cool down. An MRI or ultrasound shows the disorganized, thickened tendon and the tiny blood vessels that have grown into the damaged area.
How We Treat It
what we try first, in orderThe cornerstone of care is a structured loading program. Caught early, patellar tendinopathy responds well to it. The treatments below are listed in the order we usually introduce them, each one added on top of the ones before, not instead of. The first three are what we start with.
1
Load management
Cut back the volume and intensity of jumping for a stretch, not stopping everything, just deloading. Total rest does not actually help these tendons; what they need is the right amount of carefully dosed work to remodel.
2
Eccentric & heavy slow resistance training
The most evidence-backed treatments are slow, heavy strength work: decline squats done with a controlled lowering phase, and heavy-but-slow resistance training. The slow controlled load is what signals the tendon to rebuild stronger.
3
Patellar tendon strap / offloading brace
A small strap worn just below the kneecap takes some of the pull off the painful spot during activity, so you can keep training while the tendon rebuilds.
PRP injection
An injection of platelet-rich plasma (PRP), concentrated growth factors drawn from your own blood, placed directly into the damaged part of the tendon is sometimes considered after the standard steps above (load management, eccentric and heavy slow resistance training, and a tendon strap) have not settled the pain. Evidence in patellar tendinopathy is mixed. It is not covered by insurance (self-pay).
Surgical Options
if non-operative care isn't enoughSurgery is considered only after a sustained trial of structured loading and PRP has not broken the cycle.
Providers Who Treat Patellar Tendon Pain
sports-medicine team
Frequently Asked
questions we hear in clinicWhat is jumper's knee?
It is another name for patellar tendinopathy: wear-and-tear pain in the tendon that connects your kneecap to your shin. Every time you jump, land, or accelerate hard, that tendon takes a big load. Done over and over, the tiny damage from each rep starts to outpace the body's ability to repair it, and the tendon's fibers get disorganized and tender.
Who tends to get it?
It is most common in basketball players, volleyball players, and high jumpers, anyone whose sport revolves around explosive jumping.
Where does it hurt, and what's the pattern?
Pain pinpoints to the bottom edge of your kneecap, right where the patellar tendon begins. The classic pattern is pain at the start of activity that warms up and fades, only to return after you cool down. As the tendon worsens, that warm-up relief shrinks and the pain starts interfering with performance.
Do I need an MRI?
Patellar tendinopathy is diagnosed first from the exam: pain that pinpoints to the lower edge of the kneecap, with pressing on that spot reproducing it, and the classic warm-up-then-return pattern. An MRI or ultrasound shows the disorganized, thickened tendon and the tiny blood vessels that have grown into the damaged area.
Should I just rest it?
No. Total rest does not actually help these tendons. What they need is the right amount of carefully dosed work to remodel. We cut back the volume and intensity of jumping for a stretch, deloading rather than stopping everything, and add slow, heavy strength work that signals the tendon to rebuild stronger.
When is a PRP injection considered?
A PRP injection is sometimes considered after the standard steps, load management, eccentric and heavy slow resistance training, and a tendon strap, have not settled the pain. Evidence in patellar tendinopathy is mixed, and it is not covered by insurance (self-pay).
Will I need surgery?
Rarely. Surgery is considered only after a sustained trial of structured loading and PRP has not broken the cycle.
Further Reading
authoritative sourcesExternal patient-education references and related OSI pages for additional background: