Jumper's knee: a long term follow-up of surgical treatment

Aim. The aim of this study is to present the results of the surgical treatment carried out in high level athletes with a minimum post-operative follow-up of 5 years. Methods. Twenty-four competitive athletes (32 knees) operated for patellar or quadriceps tendon tendinitis (jumper's knee) were reviewed at a mean follow-up of 8 years (range 5-11) and evaluated according to symptoms and return to full sports activities. There were 22 men and 2 women with a mean age of 26.1 years (range 18-30). A total of 27 cases of patellar tendon tendinitis and 5 cases of quadriceps tendon tendinitis were observed. In all cases the same surgical technique was used: longitudinal splitting of the tendon, excision of the degenerated tissue, apicectomy and drilling of the affected pole. Results. The results were excellent in 20 knees, good in 5, fair in 3 and poor in 4. Conclusion. In this study the outcomes of surgical treatment appear to be satisfactory, even after a long term follow-up; however, less predictable are the results achieved in the treatment of volleyball players.