Athletes, particularly males, of jumping sports such as basketball and volleyball often obtain a condition know as Patellar tendinopathy. However, the condition may also occur in athletes who are involved in soccer, track, and tennis.
Patellar tendinopathy is caused by the breaking down of collagen rather than inflammation, a tendinosis rather than a tendinitis. This condition has been previously recognized as ÒPatellar tendinitis,Ó yet due to the fact that the condition does not exactly involve inflammation its name was changed. There is a great significance in differentiating tendinosis from tendinitis because they are really two different types of conditions. Tendinitis refers to the overuse of a tendon while tendinosis refers to the degeneration of collagen in the knee. Surgery for this condition can only be considered after a long-term and appropriate conservative regimen has failed.
In conclusion, the real message received from Dr. KhanÕs article is not about the knee at all. It comes from the fact that a medical evaluation must be carried out by a licensed physician and especially then terminology must be carefully chosen in order to avoid confusion from the patient and other doctors.