“-itis” means inflammation, so tendonitis means inflammation
of a tendon. Patellar tendonitis refers to the body’s normal inflammatory
response when excessive stretch or repetitive use, or both, damage
tissues. Patella tendonitis is also
known as “Jumper’s Knee” since it is seen most commonly in sports involving
jumping (basketball, volleyball) but is also seen in sports requiring frequent
direction change (soccer, tennis).
The excessive forces of repetitive activity result in microscopic
damage to the tendon connecting the inferior patella to the tibial tuberosity
(shin bone). The normal healing process results in repair of the damaged tendon
and resolution of the inflammatory response.
Even if all the muscles are in perfect alignment for maximum
kinetic energy transfer with the explosive force of jumping, repetitive use can
cause tendon damage. The forces applied if the muscles are not in perfect
alignment with contraction further compound the damage risk. Management of the athlete
is easily accessible through any website search and I would suggest Mayo
Clinic’s Website: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/patellar-tendinitis/DS00625/DSECTION=treatments-and-drugs.
It is postulated a compressive device “…can help to distribute force
away from the tendon itself and direct it through the strap instead.” It can
also help control the extreme muscle oscillations that apply more abnormal
forces on the patellar tendon.
So we
reviewed the medical literature to find that there is very little science
supporting one treatment program over another. As one reviewer put it, “There is a persistent lack of well-designed
studies with sufficiently long-term follow-up and number of patients to draw
strong conclusions regarding therapy.” Credit to the authors is cited here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22186923.
We have the interesting
experience of athletes telling us they benefit with the use of our Patella
Helix for patellar tendonitis time after time.
If you have been advised to consider use of a compressive Helix for your
particular condition you will not find a better product. The Patella Helix fits
comfortably and applies uniform compression to the patellar tendon and
surrounding structures. The Helix will not migrate or move with the extremes of
sport activity.
And of course, use
good judgment with the management of any injury including medical evaluation
for acute pain and chronic pain. Other fundamentals include eliminating the
culprit activity, meaning, “don’t play”, rest, ice, compression and elevation.
When compression is advised, put a Helix on it!