Date of Award

2016

Document Type

Scholarly Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Physical Therapy (DPT)

Department

Physical Therapy

First Advisor

Renee Mabey

Keywords

Adolescent; Patellar Ligament -- injuries; Tendinopathy -- diagnosis; Tendinopathy -- therapy; Case Reports

Abstract

Background and Purpose: Patellar tendinosis is a pathology among young athletes with research being conducted about it every year. This single patient case study goes through the examination and evaluation leading to a diagnosis along with the treatment, outcomes, and discussion of this patient and patients recorded in other research studies.

Case Description: This case report was conducted on a 15 year old male presenting with left patellar tendinosis. Treatment lasted eight weeks with emphasis on eccentric quadriceps exercises and return to sport activities.

Outcomes: The results of conservative treatment for this young athlete were successful. The Functional Movement Screen was utilized to quantify his ability to return to his full sporting volume. By the end of eight weeks, he had a complete return to basketball and tennis without pain or limitation.

Discussion: Eccentric exercise has been shown in many studies to have superior outcomes when compared to any other conservative treatment. However, eccentric exercise combined with hip strengthening or static stretching has resulted in significantly better outcomes than eccentric exercise alone. This combination of treatment was used successfully with the patient in this case study, leading to improved function and sports participation.

Conclusion: Patellar tendinosis is an overuse injury that athletes in particular tend to acquire. The present study shows the importance of physical therapy services, and the research behind it, in order to help these patients return to the activities they enjoy. Eccentric exercise and hip strengthening were the most prominent interventions used, which has been shown in this case study, as well as other research studies, to have positive outcomes. As a result, this patient was able to make a complete recovery within eight weeks and return to basketball and tennis without pain.

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