Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsCausesDiagnosisTreatment OptionsRecovery and Prognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Symptoms
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment Options
Recovery and Prognosis
Patellar tendon tears involve the partial or complete rupture of the band of connective tissue that attaches the bottom of the kneecap (patella) to the top of the shinbone (tibia).
Atendonis a cord of fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones. The patellar tendon specifically works with the muscles in the front of your thigh (quadriceps) to straighten your leg.
A patellar tendon tear causes instability of the knee, making it difficult to walk or bear weight on the leg. Other symptoms include knee pain, swelling, and bruising.
This article describes the symptoms and causes of a patellar tendon tear, including how thisorthopedic(bone-related) condition is diagnosed and treated.
Verywell / JR Bee
Patellar Tendon Tear Symptoms
Patellar tendon tears can be partial or complete. The tear often occurs at the place where the tendon attaches to the kneecap, causing a piece of bone to break off with it.
The typical signs of a torn patellar tendon include:
How Do You Tear Your Patellar Tendon?
Patellar tendon tears are often called “jumper’s knee” because they are commonly seen in sports that involve jumping and landing at different angles.
Jumper’s knee is common in sports like basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, soccer, track and field, and long-distance running. It most often occurs before age 40 but can also affect healthy teens.
A patellar tendon tear is not always due to a sports injury. Certain medical conditions can directly or indirectly damage the tendon, causing it to weaken and tear.
Non-athletic causes include:
Diagnosing a Patellar Tendon Tear
Patellar tendon tears are usually obvious. People who tear the tendon will be unable to extend their knee or perform astraight leg raise test.The healthcare provider can usually feel a gap in the tendon just below the kneecap.
AnX-raywill help to differentiate between a patellar tendon tear and apatellar fracture, which can cause similar symptoms. On the X-ray, the patella is usually higher than the opposite knee as the quadricep pulls on the untethered kneecap.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)may be used to confirm the diagnosis and inspect the knee for any other damage. MRIs create highly detailed images of soft tissues and can often spot tiny tears that an X-ray might miss.
Patellar tendon tears may or may not need surgery depending on the extent of the rupture. Very small tears respond well to nonsurgical treatments. Complete tears almost invariably require surgery.
Non-Surgical Treatment
if the patellar tendon tear is small and there are no concerns that the tear will get worse, yourorthopedic surgeonmight recommend a conservative approach, involving:
Surgical Treatment
Many partial patellar tendon tears do not heal well on their own. If left untreated, they will lead to the weakening of the quadriceps muscle and the loss of mobility.
Surgery used to repair the tear is relatively straightforward but difficult to perform. This is because the torn ends need to be sewn together so that the proper tension is maintained, ensuring that it is neither too tight nor too loose. This is especially difficult if the ruptured tendon has taken a piece of bone with it.
Most tendon repairs can be done on anoutpatient basis, although some people may need to stay in the hospital overnight. The surgery may be performed with aspinal blockwhich numbs the lower body,regional anesthesiawhich numbs only the leg, orgeneral anesthesiawhich puts you to sleep.
The surgeon may directly stitch together the torn ends or use a device called a suture anchor to connect the tendon to the kneecap without having to drill holes. Wires or cables may be needed to help better support and stabilize the knee.
Patellar Tendonitis or Jumper’s Knee
Recovery from patellar tendon surgery can be difficult and take time. One of the most important factors influencing outcomes is the timing of surgery, Delaying surgery beyond a few weeks can cause significant retraction of the tendon, limiting your ability to fully recover.
Some factors can speed recovery. These involve a commitment to physical therapy along with taking appropriate measures to avoid overextending yourself. Rushing may cause reinjury, setting you back weeks or even months.
Even when taking the appropriate steps, you should expect a minimum of three to four months of rehabilitation before you can return to normal activities, and up to six months before sports can be resumed.
Athletes wanting to return to competitive sports may take a year or longer to return to their pre-injury level of performance.
While most people heal completely from a patellar tendon surgery, there can be long-term weakness even with a successful repair.
Summary
A patellar tendon tear is the partial or complete rupture of the band of connective tissue that attaches the kneecap to the shin bone. When this happens, you may be unable to walk or fully straighten the leg. Knee pain, bruising, and swelling are common symptoms.
A patellar tendon tear is sometimes called “jumper’s knee” because it commonly affects athletes who jump. It can also affect people with conditions that weaken the tendons, such as diabetes and previous knee surgery.
Depending on the extent of the tear, the treatment may involve immobilization with extensive physical therapy or surgery with extensive physical therapy.
Exercises for Patellar Tendonitis
9 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Patellar tendon rupture.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Patellar tendon tear.Reinking MF.Current concepts in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016 Dec;11(6):854-866. PMID: 27904789Lubis AMT, Prabowo I.Acute patellar tendon rupture with tibial tubercle avulsion repair using suture anchors: tiny avulsed fragment which affects the strength of construction-a case report.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022 Jun 10;96:107283. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107283.Takazawa Y, Ikeda H, Ishijima M, et al.Reconstruction of a ruptured patellar tendon using ipsilateral semitendinosus and gracilis tendons with preserved distal insertions: two case reports.BMC Res Notes. 2013;6(1):361. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-6-361Samagh SP, Huyke FA, Buchler L, Terry MA, Tjong VK.Treatment of a neglected patellar tendon rupture with a modified surgical technique: ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft reconstruction with suture tape augmentation.Case Reports in Orthopedics. 2018;2018:1-5. doi:10.1155/2018/2037638Koh BTH, Sayampanathan AA, Lee KT.Patellar tendon re-rupture on the opposite end of the previous site of surgical repair.Indian J Orthop. 2017;51(3):334-336. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.205687Samagh SP, Huyke FA, Buchler L, Terry MA, Tjong VK.Treatment of a neglected patellar tendon rupture with a modified surgical technique: Ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft reconstruction with suture tape augmentation.Case Rep Orthop. 2018;2018:2037638. doi:10.1155/2018/2037638Belhaj K, El Hyaoui H, Tahir A, et al.Long-term functional outcomes after primary surgical repair of acute and chronic patellar tendon rupture: Series of 25 patients.Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2017;60(4):244-248. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2016.10.003
9 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.U.S. National Library of Medicine.Patellar tendon rupture.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Patellar tendon tear.Reinking MF.Current concepts in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016 Dec;11(6):854-866. PMID: 27904789Lubis AMT, Prabowo I.Acute patellar tendon rupture with tibial tubercle avulsion repair using suture anchors: tiny avulsed fragment which affects the strength of construction-a case report.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022 Jun 10;96:107283. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107283.Takazawa Y, Ikeda H, Ishijima M, et al.Reconstruction of a ruptured patellar tendon using ipsilateral semitendinosus and gracilis tendons with preserved distal insertions: two case reports.BMC Res Notes. 2013;6(1):361. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-6-361Samagh SP, Huyke FA, Buchler L, Terry MA, Tjong VK.Treatment of a neglected patellar tendon rupture with a modified surgical technique: ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft reconstruction with suture tape augmentation.Case Reports in Orthopedics. 2018;2018:1-5. doi:10.1155/2018/2037638Koh BTH, Sayampanathan AA, Lee KT.Patellar tendon re-rupture on the opposite end of the previous site of surgical repair.Indian J Orthop. 2017;51(3):334-336. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.205687Samagh SP, Huyke FA, Buchler L, Terry MA, Tjong VK.Treatment of a neglected patellar tendon rupture with a modified surgical technique: Ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft reconstruction with suture tape augmentation.Case Rep Orthop. 2018;2018:2037638. doi:10.1155/2018/2037638Belhaj K, El Hyaoui H, Tahir A, et al.Long-term functional outcomes after primary surgical repair of acute and chronic patellar tendon rupture: Series of 25 patients.Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2017;60(4):244-248. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2016.10.003
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
U.S. National Library of Medicine.Patellar tendon rupture.American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Patellar tendon tear.Reinking MF.Current concepts in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016 Dec;11(6):854-866. PMID: 27904789Lubis AMT, Prabowo I.Acute patellar tendon rupture with tibial tubercle avulsion repair using suture anchors: tiny avulsed fragment which affects the strength of construction-a case report.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022 Jun 10;96:107283. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107283.Takazawa Y, Ikeda H, Ishijima M, et al.Reconstruction of a ruptured patellar tendon using ipsilateral semitendinosus and gracilis tendons with preserved distal insertions: two case reports.BMC Res Notes. 2013;6(1):361. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-6-361Samagh SP, Huyke FA, Buchler L, Terry MA, Tjong VK.Treatment of a neglected patellar tendon rupture with a modified surgical technique: ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft reconstruction with suture tape augmentation.Case Reports in Orthopedics. 2018;2018:1-5. doi:10.1155/2018/2037638Koh BTH, Sayampanathan AA, Lee KT.Patellar tendon re-rupture on the opposite end of the previous site of surgical repair.Indian J Orthop. 2017;51(3):334-336. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.205687Samagh SP, Huyke FA, Buchler L, Terry MA, Tjong VK.Treatment of a neglected patellar tendon rupture with a modified surgical technique: Ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft reconstruction with suture tape augmentation.Case Rep Orthop. 2018;2018:2037638. doi:10.1155/2018/2037638Belhaj K, El Hyaoui H, Tahir A, et al.Long-term functional outcomes after primary surgical repair of acute and chronic patellar tendon rupture: Series of 25 patients.Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2017;60(4):244-248. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2016.10.003
U.S. National Library of Medicine.Patellar tendon rupture.
American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.Patellar tendon tear.
Reinking MF.Current concepts in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy.Int J Sports Phys Ther. 2016 Dec;11(6):854-866. PMID: 27904789
Lubis AMT, Prabowo I.Acute patellar tendon rupture with tibial tubercle avulsion repair using suture anchors: tiny avulsed fragment which affects the strength of construction-a case report.Int J Surg Case Rep. 2022 Jun 10;96:107283. doi:10.1016/j.ijscr.2022.107283.
Takazawa Y, Ikeda H, Ishijima M, et al.Reconstruction of a ruptured patellar tendon using ipsilateral semitendinosus and gracilis tendons with preserved distal insertions: two case reports.BMC Res Notes. 2013;6(1):361. doi:10.1186/1756-0500-6-361
Samagh SP, Huyke FA, Buchler L, Terry MA, Tjong VK.Treatment of a neglected patellar tendon rupture with a modified surgical technique: ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft reconstruction with suture tape augmentation.Case Reports in Orthopedics. 2018;2018:1-5. doi:10.1155/2018/2037638
Koh BTH, Sayampanathan AA, Lee KT.Patellar tendon re-rupture on the opposite end of the previous site of surgical repair.Indian J Orthop. 2017;51(3):334-336. doi:10.4103/0019-5413.205687
Samagh SP, Huyke FA, Buchler L, Terry MA, Tjong VK.Treatment of a neglected patellar tendon rupture with a modified surgical technique: Ipsilateral semitendinosus autograft reconstruction with suture tape augmentation.Case Rep Orthop. 2018;2018:2037638. doi:10.1155/2018/2037638
Belhaj K, El Hyaoui H, Tahir A, et al.Long-term functional outcomes after primary surgical repair of acute and chronic patellar tendon rupture: Series of 25 patients.Annals of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine. 2017;60(4):244-248. doi:10.1016/j.rehab.2016.10.003
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