Tendonitis generally refers to inflammation, irritation or a tear of a tendon. Tendons attach muscles to bone, transferring muscle movement across a joint, resulting in movement. The patellar tendon attaches the quadriceps muscles to the knee cap, or patella. Tendonitis of the knee is one of the most common injuries to the knee and can be caused by injury, overuse or aging.
Types of Symptoms
The definitive symptoms of knee tendonitis are pain and swelling near the kneecap. Activities involving jumping, rapid direction change or running place stress on the patellar tendon. Cyclists, runners, basketball players and soccer players all have an increased risk of patellar tendonitis.
Pain is the first symptom of tendonitis. The pain is dull and achy around the front of the knee cap. Pain becomes worse with walking, climbing stairs, squatting, kneeling or sitting for extended periods of time, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons notes. Knee tendonitis commonly exhibits swelling below the knee cap. Tendon sheaths, the tissue surrounding the tendon may be visibly swollen from inflammation and the accumulation of fluid.
Causes of Knee Tendonitis
In some individuals, the knee cap is out of alignment, resulting in excessive wear and tear on the patellar tendon and surrounding soft tissue, resulting in knee tendonitis, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
Over-training, overuse and increasing mileage too quickly can also cause patellar tendonitis. Quadriceps and hamstring tightness, imbalances and weakness can all contribute to its development. Landing directly on the kneecap, repetitive jumping and twisting can all be implicated in patellar tendonitis.
Self-Care
Knee pain and tendonitis caused by overuse usually respond well to self-care, according to MedlinePlus, a service of the National Institutes of Health. Begin with rest and avoid activities that worsen the pain. Ice the knee frequently at least hourly for up to 10 minutes. Wrap the ice in a damp towel to protect the skin from freezing. After the first day, apply ice four times daily. Keep the knee elevated to reduce swelling. Compress the knee gently with an ace bandage to decrease swelling and provide support. Ace bandages can be purchased at most pharmacies.
When to See your Doctor
Seek medical advice if you cannot place weight on the knee; knee pain is severe even at rest; the knee buckles, clicks or gets stuck when moved; and the knee is very swollen and discolored, MedlinePlus recommends.
Prevention
Gradually increasing physical activity can help prevent a recurrence of knee tendonitis. Warming up before exercise, taking care to give quadriceps and hamstrings extra attention, will also help prevent reinjury, as will making certain that these same muscles are cool and stretched before relaxing from activity. The gait should be assessed to rule out pronation, and anti-pronation exercise footwear should be used if needed. Workout shoes should be replaced frequently--depending on the frequency of use, replacement could be needed as frequently as every six weeks. It is important to stay in shape and lose weight if needed, as extra weight puts added stress on the knee joint.
