Symptoms of Jumper's Knee (Patellar Tendinopathy)
Jumper's knee presents with well-localized, activity-related anterior knee pain at the inferior pole of the patella that initially occurs after physical activity but progressively worsens to occur during and eventually at rest. 1
Pain Characteristics and Progression
The pain follows a predictable pattern of progression:
- Early stage: Pain occurs only after activity and may subside after a warm-up period 1
- Progressive stage: Pain gradually increases in intensity and duration, becoming present during activity 1
- Advanced stage: Pain persists at rest in later stages of the condition 1
- Patients describe the pain quality as "sharp" or "stabbing" 1
Location-Specific Symptoms
- Pain is typically well-localized at the inferior pole of the patella where the patellar tendon attaches 1, 2
- The pain is exacerbated by activities that load the patellar tendon, particularly navigating stairs and prolonged sitting 3
- Jumping activities predictably reproduce the pain 3
Physical Examination Findings
When examining a patient with jumper's knee, you will find:
- Well-localized tenderness on palpation at the inferior pole of the patella that reproduces the quality and location of pain experienced during activity 1
- Swelling and asymmetry are commonly noted when examining the affected tendon 1
- Muscle atrophy is often present with chronic conditions and indicates duration of the tendinopathy 1
- Limited range of motion on the symptomatic side compared to the unaffected side 1
- Decline squat test reproduces pain by placing increased load on the patellar tendon 3, 4
- Pain with resisted leg extension in full extension 4
Important Clinical Pitfalls
A critical caveat: joint effusions are uncommon with patellar tendinopathy and their presence should alert you to consider intra-articular pathology instead 1. If multiple tendons are symptomatic, you must evaluate for underlying rheumatic disease 1, 4.
Onset Pattern
The typical presentation involves insidious onset of load-related localized pain coinciding with increased activity 1. Most patients report engaging in a new activity or increasing the intensity of current activity before symptom onset, though not all will have this history 1. This is particularly common in jumping athletes 3.