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Arthroscopic patellar release allows timely return to performance in professional and amateur athletes with chronic patellar tendinopathy

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy volume 26, pages 3553–3559 (2018)Cite this article

Abstract

Purpose

Return to sports rates in amateur and professional athletes with chronic patellar tendinopathy following arthroscopic patellar release are unpredictable. The present study aims to analyse the effectiveness of arthroscopic patellar release in professional compared to amateur athletes.

Methods

A total of 34 amateur and 20 professional athletes with chronic patellar tendinopathy, refractory to conservative treatment, were studied prospectively and underwent arthroscopic tendon release at the inferior patellar pole. Impact of grouped sports on clinical and functional outcome, subjective patient satisfaction and return to sports rates were assessed. Additionally, preoperative MRI-scans of the knee were evaluated and correlated with clinical outcome.

Results

In 40 patients (74.1%) arthroscopic patellar release resulted in complete recovery and return to preinjury exercise levels. Full return to sports was achieved after a median of 3.0 (range 0.5–12.0) months. Functional outcome measures VISA-P (Victorian Institute of sport assessment for patella) and modified Blazina scores improved significantly from pre- to postoperatively (VISA-P: 48.8 vs. 94.0 pts., respectively, p < 0.0001; Blazina: 4.47 vs. 0.5, respectively, p < 0.0001).

Conclusion

As rapid recovery and timely return to sports are crucial for professional athletes, arthroscopic patellar release should be considered after failed conservative treatment.

Level of evidence

IV.

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Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopedics and Trauma Surgery, University Medical Center Freiburg, Faculty of Medicine, Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg, Hugstetter Strasse 55, 79106, Freiburg, Germany

    Jan M. Pestka, Gernot Lang, Dirk Maier, Norbert P. Südkamp, Peter Ogon & Kaywan Izadpanah

  2. Center of Orthopedic Sports Medicine Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany

    Peter Ogon

Authors
  1. Jan M. Pestka
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  2. Gernot Lang
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  3. Dirk Maier
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  4. Norbert P. Südkamp
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  5. Peter Ogon
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  6. Kaywan Izadpanah
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Contributions

JMP: research hypothesis, data acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, draft of manuscript. GL: data acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, draft of manuscript. KI: study design, analysis and interpretation of data, revision of manuscript. DM: study design, analysis and interpretation of data, revision of manuscript. NPS: study design, analysis and interpretation of data, revision of manuscript. PO: research hypothesis and design of study, data acquisition, analysis and interpretation of data, draft of manuscript. All authors critically reviewed and approved the final manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jan M. Pestka.

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Conflict of interest

Jan M. Pestka, Gernot Lang, Dirk Maier, Norbert P. Südkamp, Peter Ogon and Kaywan Izadpanah have nothing to disclose and declare no conflicts of interest.

Ethical standards

The study was approved by our local institutional review board and informed consent was obtained from all patients before surgery. All studies have been performed in accordance with the ethical standards as laid down in the 1964 Declaration of Helsinki and its later amendments or comparable ethical standards.

Informed consent

Consent has been obtained to publish from the participant (or legal parent or guardian for children) to report individual patient data.

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Pestka, J.M., Lang, G., Maier, D. et al. Arthroscopic patellar release allows timely return to performance in professional and amateur athletes with chronic patellar tendinopathy. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 26, 3553–3559 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-018-4985-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-018-4985-4

Keywords

  • Anterior knee pain
  • Patellar tendinitis
  • Jumper’s knee
  • Professional/amateur athletes
  • Return to sports