title: Effectiveness of the Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPI®) technique and isoinertial eccentric exercise in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy at two years follow-up.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  to show the effect of Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPI®) combined with eccentric programme in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  prospective study of 33 athlete-patients consecutively treated for insertional tendinopathy with Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPI®) and followed for 2 years. Functional assessment was performed at the first visit, at three months and two years with the Tegner scale and VISA-P.
  
  
  RESULTS
  an average improvement in the VISA-P of 35 points was obtained. The mean duration of treatment was 4.5 weeks. Some 78.8% of the patients returned to the same level of physical activity as before the injury by the end of treatment, reaching 100% at two years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  intratissue percutaneous electrolysis (EPI®) combined with an eccentric-based rehab program offers excellent results in terms of the clinical and functional improvement of the patellar tendon with low morbidity in a short-term period.
  
  
  METHODS
  Therapy, level 4.
authors.affiliation: CEREDE, Sports Medicine, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Ferran
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Abat
authors.affiliation: Tottenham Hotspur FC, Hotspur Way, Enfield, Middlesex, UK.
authors.forename: Wayne-J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Diesel
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. ICATME - Institut Universitari Dexeus, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Pablo-E
authors.initials: PE
authors.lastname: Gelber
authors.affiliation: CEREDE, Sports Medicine, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Polidori
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Hospital de la Santa Creu i Sant Pau, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain. ICATME - Institut Universitari Dexeus, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan-Carles
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Monllau
authors.affiliation: CEREDE, Sports Medicine, Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose-Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Sanchez-Ibañez
keywords: EPI; eccentric; intratissue percutaneous electrolysis; patellar; tendinopathy; tenopathy