AN ANALYSIS OF THE EFFICACY OF CHRONIC PATELLAR TENDINOPATHY TREATMENTS

The patellar tendon is a largely avascular tendon with a low metabolic rate.
Repeated strain can cause faster breakdown as opposed to healing, resulting in
patellar tendinopathy. As more becomes known about the condition, it is becoming
clear that new treatments need to be developed. Research has shown that
cryotherapy, anti-inflammatory drugs, and corticosteroid injections, though widely
used, are dated and potentially harmful. Other current treatments include physical
therapy, sclerosing and platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections, shock wave therapy,
and surgery. However, none of these treatments has shown significant effectiveness.
Due to a lack of high quality research and intrinsic limitations, it is difficult to make
a definitive conclusion as to the single best treatment. Based on limited existing
data, it is suspected that the best course of action is likely a combination of
treatments, such as employing eccentric exercise, supplemented with PRP.