From the Guidelines
Treatment for posterior knee tendinitis typically involves conservative management with relative rest, icing, and eccentric strengthening exercises.
Key Treatment Options
- Relative rest and reduced activity to prevent further damage and promote healing and pain relief 1
- Cryotherapy to provide acute relief of tendinopathy pain, with repeated applications of melting ice water through a wet towel for 10-minute periods being most effective 1
- Eccentric strengthening as an effective treatment to reverse degenerative changes 1
- NSAIDs for short-term pain relief, although they have no effect on long-term outcomes 1
Additional Treatment Considerations
- Topical NSAIDs may be effective and have fewer systemic side effects, but it is unclear whether they are better than other analgesics 1
- Locally injected corticosteroids may be more effective than oral NSAIDs in acute-phase pain relief, but do not alter long-term outcomes 1
- Extracorporeal shock wave therapy appears to be a safe, noninvasive, and effective means of pain relief, but is expensive 1
- Surgery is an effective option in carefully selected patients who have failed three to six months of conservative therapy 1
From the Research
Treatment Options for Posterior Knee Tendinitis
- The treatment for posterior knee tendinitis may involve various options, including platelet-rich plasma, shock waves, operative treatment, and sclerotherapy, which have shown positive effects 2.
- Corticosteroid injections and oral non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) may also be used, but their effects are typically short-term, lasting around 4 weeks 2.
- Injection therapies, such as platelet rich plasma, corticosteroids, autologous blood, and aprotinin, have been used to treat patellar tendinopathy, a related condition, with promising results 3.
- Ultrasound-guided scraping is a technique that has been used to target neovessels and accompanying neonerves in patellar tendinopathy, but more research is needed to determine its effectiveness 4.
- The management of posterior knee pain, which can be caused by tendinitis, typically involves a precise understanding of knee anatomy, physical examination, and differential diagnosis, as well as treatment options such as reducing inflammation, minimizing fibrosis buildup, and controlling pronatory force 5.
Specific Treatment Approaches
- Platelet-rich plasma treatment has been shown to have a significantly better outcome when used correctly 2.
- Shock wave therapy has also been used to treat tendinopathy, with positive effects 2.
- Operative treatment and sclerotherapy may be considered in some cases, but more research is needed to determine their effectiveness 2.
- Injection therapies, such as corticosteroids and platelet-rich plasma, may be used to reduce inflammation and promote healing 3.