Do I Have Jumper’s Knee (Patellar Tendonitis)?

Are you involved in physical activity that includes jumping and running on hard surfaces, such as basketball and volleyball?

Do you have pain and tenderness around your patellar tendon, on the front of the knee?

Do you have swelling around your knee?

Do you have redness around your knee?

Do you only feel pain in your knee as you begin physical activity or just after an intense workout?

Do you have pain with jumping, running, or walking (the pain interferes with yours activity)?

Do you have pain when bending or straightening your leg?

Do you have stiffness of the knee?

Do you have tenderness behind the lower part of your kneecap?

Do you have pain and stiffness with motion especially squatting and descending stairs?

Do you have “cracking" noise with knee motion and squatting?

Based on your answers it is unlikely that you have a jumper’s knee. Jumper's knee is also known as patellar tendonitis. It is a medical condition characterized by inflammation of the patellar tendon. The patellar tendon is a thick cord of connective tissue that connects the bottom of the kneecap (patella) to the top of the shinbone (tibia). The patellar tendon, with the help of the muscles of the front side of the thigh, has a function in straightening the leg. Jumper’s knee is a sport-related injury. It occurs due to excessive use of the knee joint, which happens with frequent jumping on hard surfaces.

Based on your answers there is a possibility that you have a jumper’s knee. Jumper's knee or patellar tendonitis is a medical condition that refers to an injury of the patellar tendon. It is a common overuse injury, resulting from repeated stress on your patellar tendon. During physical activities such as running and jumping on hard surfaces (basketball and volleyball), the patellar tendon is constantly stretched, which at some point can lead to its inflammation. Jumper's knee is a common injury of professional athletes after which it got its name. A diagnosis is based on your medical history, a physical examination and an X-ray.

Based on your answers there is a high possibility that you have a jumper’s knee. Jumper's knee refers to an inflammation of your patellar tendon. It is the result of repeated stress on your knee due to overuse in sports or exercise. The constant stretching of the patellar tendon leads to the formation of small tears on it, which results in inflammation and weakening of the tendon. The main symptoms are pain and swelling of the knee. The pain initially occurs sporadically after exercise, while later, as tendon damage worsens, the pain also occurs during daily activities such as climbing stairs. Treatment involves medications, physical therapy and surgery.