title: Long-term prognosis for jumper's knee in male athletes. A prospective follow-up study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Little information is available on the long-term outcome of jumper's knee, a common problem among athletes.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Our aim was to determine the 15-year prognosis of jumper's knee.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective case control.
  
  
  METHODS
  The prognosis for jumper's knee was studied using two groups: athletes with jumper's knee and nonsymptomatic control athletes. At baseline, all subjects participated in standardized clinical examinations and measurements, and 15 years later they were asked to respond to a questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twenty athletes with jumper's knee and 16 athlete control subjects responded (response rate 74% and 84%, respectively). The jumper's knee group reported significantly more knee symptoms according to their Kujala score and more knee pain after repeated squatting. Fifty-three percent of the subjects in the jumper's knee group (9 of 17) reported that they had quit their sports career because of their knee problem, compared with 7% of the control athletes (1 of 14). Patellar height was associated with knee symptoms at follow-up.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Jumper's knee causes mild but long-lasting symptoms after an athletic career.
authors.affiliation: ORTON Orthopaedic Hospital, Invalid Foundation, Helsinki, Finland.
authors.forename: Jyrki A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Kettunen
authors.forename: Martti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kvist
authors.forename: Erkki
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Alanen
authors.forename: Urho M
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Kujala
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D016009:Chi-Square Distribution; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007718:Knee Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D008297:Male; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000150:complications*; D014142:Track and Field / Q000293:injuries*