Jumper’s Knee

Fig. 4.16. Power Doppler ultrasound demonstrating focal swelling of the proximal patellar tendon with marked vascularity, consistent with jumper s knee...

Next, every effort should be made to localize the pain as precisely as possible because this can provide useful information to target the US examination. As a general rule, diffuse knee pain derives from joint lesions, whereas more localized pain is more commonly related to tendon involvement and local disorders. Information on the character, duration and location of pain is extremely helpful in the evaluation of tendinitis. In jumper s knee , for instance, the patient typically reports pain over the most proximal portion of the patellar tendon, just behind the tip of the patella. Runners complaining of lateral knee pain and tenderness should be questioned for signs of tendinitis affecting the distal insertion of the biceps femoris and the iliotibial band, so-called runner s knee . In the event of soft-tissue lumps or indeterminate swelling around the... 

Fig. 14.55. Jumper s knee. Proximal patellar tendinopathy. a Long-axis 12-5 MHz US image of the proximal patellar tendon (arrows) shows a ill-defined hypoechoic area (asterisks) located at the level of the middle and posterior tendon thirds reflecting degenerative tendinopathy. Note the absence of significant tendon thickening and the normal fibrillar appearance of the most superficial fibers (arrowhead). Hfp, Hoffa fat pad...

Lian et al. 1996 Cook et al. 2001). On the other hand, US signs of patellar tendinopathy in asymptomatic sportsmen have been associated with a higher risk of developing symptomatic jumper s knee in the future (Fredberg and Bolvig 2002). 

Fig. 14.59a,b. Postsurgical appearance of the patellar tendon, a Long- and b short-axis 12-5 MHz US images of the patellar tendon in a patient who underwent surgical treatment for jumper s knee reveal an overall tendon appearance similar to that of diffuse patellar tendinopathy (arrows). Note the postoperative thickening of the anterior soft-tissues (asterisks) and an in-trasuhstance fissuration (arrowhead). P, patella... 

Roels J, Martens M, Mulier JC et al (1978) Patellar tendinitis (jumper s knee). Am J Sports Med 6 362-368 Rutten MJ, Collins JM, van Kampen A et al (1998) Meniscal cysts detection with high-resolution sonography. AJR Am J Roentgenol 171 491-496... 

Taylor PC, Steuer A, Gruber J et al (2004) Comparison of ultrasonographic assessment of synovitis and joint vascularity with radiographic evaluation in a randomized, placebo-controlled study of infliximab therapy in early rheumatoid arthritis. Arthitis Rheum 50 1107-1116 Terslev L, Qvistgaard E, Torp-Pedersen S et al (2001) Ultrasound and power Doppler findings in jumper s knee preliminary observations. Eur J Ultrasound 13 183-189 Torreggiani WC, Al-Ismail K, Munk PL et al (2002) The imaging spectrum of Baker s (Popliteal) cysts. Clin Radiol 57 681-691... 

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