Jumper’s knee

Jumper’s knee is caused by overloading of the knee’s large extensor tendon, the quadriceps tendon. It is an injury in which the tendon becomes thickened and small tears develop in the tendon tissue.

The cause of jumper’s knee is that the knee’s extensor tendon has been overloaded at the point where the tendon attaches to the kneecap. The injury occurs from training too much and from many forceful take-offs, for example during sudden changes of running direction in ball games.

Our sports medicine doctors often see this condition here at CPH Privathospital.

Symptoms of jumper’s knee

• Persistent pain when walking, running or jumping
• Pain when squatting
• Swelling

Examination of jumper’s knee

Our sports medicine doctor makes the diagnosis based on your medical history, the clinical examination and an ultrasound scan. It may be necessary to perform an MRI scan to rule out other conditions in the knee.

How is jumper’s knee treated?

First and foremost, you should relieve your knee. You should avoid training with jumping, hopping and running. You must also not have pain in your knee after training. It can take 3–6 months for the tendon to heal.

To reduce the irritation, an injection with corticosteroid and/or anti-inflammatory medication can be given.

In rarer cases, an operation may be necessary, in which the surgeon removes some of the diseased tissue from the centre of the tendon.