Atendonis a cord of fibrous tissue that connects muscles to bones.
Other symptoms include knee pain, swelling, and bruising.
Verywell / JR Bee
Patellar Tendon Tear Symptoms
Patellar tendon tears can be partial or complete.
Verywell / JR Bee
If the rupture is complete, the lack of an attachment makes it impossible to straighten the knee.
The kneecap may also appear to slide up into the thigh as you do.
How Do You Tear Your Patellar Tendon?
When the tear occurs, it happens at the weakest spot.
It most often occurs before age 40 but can also affect healthy teens.
A patellar tendon tear is not always due to a sports injury.
Certain medical conditions can directly or indirectly damage the tendon, causing it to weaken and tear.
Non-athletic causes include:
Diagnosing a Patellar Tendon Tear
Patellar tendon tears are usually obvious.
AnX-raywill help to differentiate between a patellar tendon tear and apatellar fracture, which can cause similar symptoms.
MRIs create highly detailed images of soft tissues and can often spot tiny tears that an X-ray might miss.
Very small tears respond well to nonsurgical treatments.
Complete tears almost invariably require surgery.
If left untreated, they will lead to the weakening of the quadriceps muscle and the loss of mobility.
Surgery used to repair the tear is relatively straightforward but difficult to perform.
This is especially difficult if the ruptured tendon has taken a piece of bone with it.
Wires or cables may be needed to help better support and stabilize the knee.
Recovery and Prognosis
Recovery from patellar tendon surgery can be difficult and take time.
Some factors can speed recovery.
These involve a commitment to physical therapy along with taking appropriate measures to avoid overextending yourself.
Rushing may cause reinjury, setting you back weeks or even months.
When this happens, you may be unable to walk or fully straighten the leg.
Knee pain, bruising, and swelling are common symptoms.
A patellar tendon tear is sometimes called “jumper’s knee” because it commonly affects athletes who jump.
It can also affect people with conditions that weaken the tendons, such as diabetes and previous knee surgery.
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