title: Color Doppler ultrasound findings in patellar tendinopathy (jumper's knee).
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center, Department of Sports Medicine, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, PO Box 4014 Ullevaal Stadion, 0806 Oslo, Norway.
authors.forename: Aasne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hoksrud
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ohberg
authors.forename: Håkan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Alfredson
authors.forename: Roald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bahr