Knee pain due to tendinitis

What is

Knee tendonitis is the degeneration of the system that allows the insertion of the muscles (the tendon) into the bones in this joint. Overuse of the muscles leads to continuous wear and tear leading to deterioration of this structure. Usually the development of these injuries is slow and can lead to partial or total tendon rupture, so it is important to act as soon as possible on the factors that lead to this deterioration.

Causes

There are several factors that increase the risk of developing knee tendinitis, although it generally arises from a combination of several factors. Below, we will review the most important ones:

Obesity: given its key location in the legs, this joint is directly overloaded in situations involving excessive weight.
Osteoarthritis: degeneration of the knee “wear and tear” due to age or hereditary factors.
Sports such as soccer or basketball.

Type

Tendinitis of the goose foot

This tendon is a structure located on the inner aspect of the knee and includes the insertion of the semitendinosus, rectus abdominis and sartorius muscles. These muscles intervene in part of the movements of hip and knee. It is a very common injury in:

- People who are overweight because their hips are wider and the pressure on the insertion of the muscles is greater.
- People with osteoarthritis in which there are compensatory overloads due to osteoarthritis that generate this problem.
- Athletes, in which inadequate development or incorrect training leads to overloading of this structure and injury to these tendons.

Patellar tendinitis

Injury in the tendon that connects the patella with the tibia. The patellar tendon has a fundamental mission allowing to extend the knee.

Quadricipital tendinitis

Quadriceps tendinitis is the inflammation of the tendon that connects the quadriceps to the patella. This tendon fulfills a fundamental mission connecting the quadriceps with the knee and allowing its extension. The usual cause of this injury is the overload of the tendon and usually appears in the practice of sports that involve repeated impacts such as soccer, basketball…

Symptoms

When we have a tendinitis a pain is manifested in the concrete place that the muscle is inserted in the bone and that can limit the functions of the muscle of which it forms a part. Depending on the area where the tendinitis is located, the pain may be localized in one area or another:

Tendinitis of the goose foot: the pain is located in the anterior and internal part of the tibia at knee level, it is also often associated with pain in the territory of the muscles and generally becomes more intense when moving from sitting to standing position.
Patellar tendinitis: the pain is produced through daily gestures such as walking, sitting, standing up and is in the area between the patella and the place of insertion with the tibia (shinbone). Generally the pain at the beginning of the process only manifests itself when exercising, however, if it evolves it can already manifest itself at rest and be very incapacitating.
Quadricipital tendinitis: the pain is usually present in the upper part of the patella, which is where the tendon is inserted. It can be a problem if it is not treated and the suitable means are put because it can be associated with ruptures of the tendon and calcifications.

Approach protocol

Diagnosis and assessment

A correct medical evaluation by means of a good anamnesis and physical examination will be necessary. The multidisciplinary vision is essential to perform a comprehensive approach (requiring the intervention of professionals in biomechanics, podiatry and physiotherapy), personalized, focused on detecting the factors that lead to tendon overload and assess whether the injury is exclusively a tendinopathy, if there is a rupture or if there are associated calcifications.

Complementary tests

X-ray and/or MRI.

Treatment

Treatments should be multidisciplinary and encompass a spectrum of treatments that focus on correcting the factors that favor tendon wear, treatments that promote tendon recovery and physiotherapy guidelines to strengthen and correct inadequate attitudes.

Interventional medical treatments:
- Treatments such as regenerative medicine (platelet-rich plasma / cytokine-rich serum / stem cells) will reduce pain and promote tendon recovery.
- Treatments with hyaluronic acid: as well as regenerative medicine, it reduces pain and promotes tendon recovery.
Physiotherapy: methodology based on knowledge and clinical reasoning in which, combining manual and invasive techniques and treatments, always associated with cutting-edge technology, allows us to accelerate the recovery process. Other state-of-the-art technology devices include Magnetolith, SIS, focal shock waves and Indiba, among others. This therapeutic combination allows us to activate the patient early to start with a routine and a process of specific therapeutic exercises that allow us to enhance and strengthen the lost functional patterns.

Here begins your life without pain

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Virginia Martinez

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JM Albea

2 days ago

Gracias de corazón por haberme paliado mi dolencia. Son un equipo fantástico súper atentos y trabajadores. Muy recomendable si padeces cualquier tipo de dolor acudir a su consulta.

Ciudadano Del Mundo

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Tanto el Doctor Xavier Morales García, como todo su equipo y las administrativas, de 10. Sin duda un equipo muy profesional.

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Excelente atención desde el ingreso, las recepcionista son muy amables y el esperar indica que la doctora VIETA en mi caso, ha tenido respeto y cuidado por mi dolor.