WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee), open patellar tenotomy is no more effective than eccentric strength training, according to a study published in the August issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery. The findings suggest that eccentric training should be tried before resorting to surgery.
Roald Bahr, M.D., of Ulleval University Hospital in Oslo, Norway, and colleagues randomized 35 patients (40 knees) with grade-IIIB patellar tendinopathy to receive either surgical treatment (20 knees) or eccentric strength training (20 knees), which included squat exercises performed daily for 12 weeks.
The researchers found no group differences in Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment (VISA) scores during the 12-month follow-up. In the surgical treatment group, they found that five knees had no symptoms, 12 improved, two were unchanged, and one was worse. In the eccentric training group, they found that seven knees had no symptoms, eight improved, and five that required secondary surgery.
"Although surgical treatment and eccentric strength training can produce significant improvement in terms of pain and function scores, it appears that only about half of all patients will be able to return to sport within one year after treatment with each option, and fewer still will have relief of all symptoms," the authors conclude. "In the absence of other validated treatment options, we believe that eccentric training, a low-risk and low-cost option, should be tried before surgery is considered."
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