Lower Extremity Kinematics During a Drop Jump in Individuals With Patellar Tendinopathy
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Lower Extremity Kinematics During a Drop Jump in Individuals With Patellar Tendinopathy
Adam B. Rosen ) 0 1 3 4
ATC 1 3 4
Jupil Ko 1 2 3 4
MS 1 3 4
ATC 1 3 4
Kathy J. Simpson 1 2 3 4
Seock-Ho Kim 1 2 3 4
Cathleen N. Brown 1 2 3 4
ATC 1 3 4
0 University of Nebraska at Omaha , Omaha, Nebraska , USA
1 Nebraska at Omaha , 6001 Dodge Street, HPER Building 207Y, Omaha
2 University of Georgia , Athens, Georgia , USA. The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest in the authorship and publication of this contribution
3 The knee is among the most frequently injured joints, accounting for approximately 15% of all high school sports
4 Investigation performed at the Department of Kinesiology Biomechanics Laboratory, University of Georgia , Athens, Georgia , USA
Background: Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is a common degenerative condition in physically active populations. Knowledge regarding the biomechanics of landing in populations with symptomatic PT is limited, but altered mechanics may play a role in the development or perpetuation of PT. Purpose: To identify whether study participants with PT exhibited different landing kinematics compared with healthy controls. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Sixty recreationally active participants took part in this study; 30 had current signs and symptoms of PT, including self-reported pain within the patellar tendon during loading activities for at least 3 months and 80 on the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment Scale-Patella (VISA-P). Thirty healthy participants with no history of PT or other knee joint pathology were matched by sex, age, height, and weight. Participants completed 5 trials of a 40-cm, 2-legged drop jump followed immediately by a 50% maximum vertical jump. Dependent variables of interest included hip, knee, and ankle joint angles at initial ground contact, peak angles, and maximum angular displacements during the landing phase in 3 planes. Independent-samples t tests (P .05) were utilized to compare the joint angles and angular displacements between PT and control participants. Results: Individuals with PT displayed significantly decreased peak hip (PT, 59.2 14.6 ; control, 67.2 13.9 ; P .03) and knee flexion angles (PT, 74.8 13.2 ; control, 82.5 9.0 ; P .01) compared with control subjects. The PT group displayed decreased maximum angular displacement in the sagittal plane at the hip (PT, 49.3 10.8 ; control, 55.2 11.4 ; P .04) and knee (PT, 71.6 8.4 ; control, 79.7 8.3 ; P < .001) compared with the control group. Conclusion: Participants with PT displayed decreased maximum flexion and angular displacement in the sagittal plane, at both the knee and the hip. The altered movement patterns in those with PT may be perpetuating symptoms associated with PT and could be due to the contributions of the rectus femoris during dynamic movement. Clinical Relevance: Based on kinematic alterations in symptomatic participants, rehabilitation efforts may benefit from focusing on both the knee and the hip to treat symptoms associated with PT.
jumper's knee; knee pain; motion analysis; jump landing
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injuries and approximately 40% of all running injuries.18,36
Specifically, injuries to the patella and patellar tendon
account for almost 30% of knee structures injured in high
schoolaged athletes as well as some of the highest
incidences of injuries in collegiate sports such as basketball,
field hockey, soccer, softball, and volleyball.17,35
Additionally, among elite athletes, patellar tendinopathy (PT)
represents over 14% of all injuries, and nearly 32% and 45%
of injuries in basketball and volleyball, respectively.25
Symptoms associated with PT have both short- and
long-term consequences. The most common outcome
associated with patellar tendon injuries was loss of participation,
and symptom duration associated with PT can exceed 30
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months.36 Over 50% of athletes may end their sport career
due to symptoms associated with patellar tendinopathy.20
Many athletes who continued to participate in their sport
with PT demonstrated mild but persistent symptoms
that remained well after their athletic career came to
completion.20
Patellar tendonitis, tendinosis, or jumpers knee are the
terms most commonly used to describe symptoms
experienced in the patellar tendon.22 The phrase jumpers knee
may suggest this syndrome occurs most frequently in sp (...truncated)