Clinical Measures and Their Contribution to Dysfunction in Individuals With Patellar Tendinopathy

Authors

Hyunjae Jeon, University of North Carolina at Charlotte
Melanie L. McGrath, University of Montana, Missoula
Neal Grandgenett, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow
Adam B. Rosen, University of Nebraska at OmahaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2017

Publication Title

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation

First Page

1

Last Page

22

Abstract

Context: Patellar tendinopathy is prevalent in physically active populations and it affects their quality of living, performance of activity, and may contribute to the early cessation of their athletic careers. A number of previous studies have identified contributing factors for patellar tendinopathy however their contributions to self-reported dysfunction remain unclear.
Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to determine if strength, flexibility, and various lower extremity static alignments contributed to self-reported function and influence the severity of patellar tendinopathy.
Design: Cross sectional research design.
Setting: University Laboratory.
Participants: 30 participants with patellar tendinopathy volunteered for this study (age: 23.4±3.6 years, height: 1.8±0.1m, mass: 80.0±20.3kg, BMI: 25.7±4.3).
Main outcome measures: Participants completed seven different patient-reported outcomes. Isometric knee extension and flexion strength, hamstring flexibility and alignment measures of rearfoot angle, navicular drop, tibial torsion, q angle, genu recurvatum, pelvic tilt, and leg length differences were assessed. Pearson’s correlation coefficients were assessed to determine significantly correlated outcome variables with each of the patient-reported outcomes. The factors with the highest correlations were used to identify factors that contribute the most to pain and dysfunction using backward selection, linear regression models.
Results: Correlation analysis found significant relationships between questionnaires and BMI (r=-0.35-0.46), normalized knee extension (r=0.38-0.50) and flexion strength (r=-0.34-0.50), flexibility (r=0.32- -0.38, q angle (r=0.38-0.56) and pelvic tilt (r=-0.40). Regression models (R²= 0.22-0.54) identified thigh musculature strength and supine q angle to have greatest predictability for severity in patient-reported outcomes.
Conclusions: These findings put an emphasis of bodyweight management, improving knee extensor and flexor strength, posterior flexibility in patellar tendinopathy patients.

Comments

Accepted author manuscript version reprinted, by permission, from Journal of Sport Rehabilitation, 2017 (ahead of print). © Human Kinetics, Inc.

https://doi.org/10.1123/jsr.2017-0196

Recommended Citation

Jeon, Hyunjae; McGrath, Melanie L.; Grandgenett, Neal; and Rosen, Adam B., "Clinical Measures and Their Contribution to Dysfunction in Individuals With Patellar Tendinopathy" (2017). Health and Kinesiology Faculty Publications. 33.
https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/hperfacpub/33