Color Doppler ultrasound findings in patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee).
BACKGROUND
Recent studies have revealed structural changes with neovessels in patients with jumper's knee and Achilles tendinopathy, and treatment with sclerosing injections has shown promising clinical results.


OBJECTIVE
To study the prevalence of neovascularization and structural tendon changes on color Doppler ultrasound examination in elite athletes with clinical symptoms of jumper's knee and to examine the ultrasound characteristics of the tendon after sclerosing injection treatment with polidocanol.


METHODS
Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.


METHODS
The authors recruited patients among elite athletes with a clinical diagnosis of jumper's knee who participated in a previous randomized clinical trial. The patients recorded knee function using the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment score. Patients were examined by color Doppler ultrasound at baseline and, for patients with structural changes and neovascularization who received sclerosing treatment, after treatment.


RESULTS
Sixty-three patients (11 women and 52 men) with 79 symptomatic tendons were studied. The ultrasound examination revealed that neovascularization was present in 48 of the 79 tendons (60%). Of 33 patients (43 tendons) who received sclerosing injections, 29 patients (37 tendons, 86%) were examined 37 (19 to 53) weeks after their final sclerosing injections. Of these, 7 tendons (18.9%) had no change in neovascularization after treatment, 21 tendons (56.8%) had less neovascularization, and 9 tendons (24.3%) had more visible neovascularization. There were no significant differences in the change in Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment score between patients who had less, more, or unchanged neovascularization after treatment (analysis of variance, P = .9).


CONCLUSIONS
About two thirds of patients with jumper's knee can be expected to have structural tendon changes with neovascularization. There was no relationship between changes in ultrasound characteristic and knee function after sclerosing treatment.
Hoksrud
Aasne
A
Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, PO Box 4014 Ullevaal Stadion, 0806 Oslo, Norway.
Ohberg
Lars
L
Alfredson
Håkan
H
Bahr
Roald
R