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- Arthroscopic management of patellar tendinopathy: a…
Arthroscopic management of patellar tendinopathy: a systematic review evaluating clinical outcomes and return to sport
Key Points
- Patellar tendinopathy (PT) typically involves irreversible connective tissue damage with little to no inflammation.
BACKGROUND & OBJECTIVE
Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is a chronic tendon injury characterized by load-related pain in the patellar tendon (1). PT does not typically involve inflammation but rather microinjury to the tendon fibers, leading to irreversible connective tissue breakdown, necrosis, and loss of transitional fibrocartilage (2). PT affects less than 1% of the general population and 15-20% of athletes. PT prevalence is highest amongst jumping athletes. It is most common in elite athletes in their mid to late 20’s and it affects about twice as many males as females (3).
Rehabilitation from PT can be slow and frustrating. Up to half of elite athletes with PT report never fully recovering before retirement (4). Researchers agree that PT rehab requires tendon loading, however individual response to exercise is extremely variable (5). PT is primarily treated non-operatively, although surgical techniques remain an option for stubborn cases.
The authors of this paper performed a systematic review of literature on arthroscopic surgical management of PT, return to sport (RTS) data, and patient reported outcome measures (PROMs).
Arthroscopic intervention should be considered as a secondary option for PT following prolonged conservative care with severely unsatisfactory outcomes.
METHODS
The authors conducted their search following PRISMA guidelines. Two independent authors evaluated papers for their level of evidence (LOE), inclusion and exclusion criteria, surgical techniques, follow up time, RTS data, PROMs, post-op rehab approach, and functional outcome data. The authors