Martial Arts Injury Care: Patellar Tendonitis (Jumper’s Knee) & Osgood Schlatter’s Disease

This simple but effective injury care tip comes from Trish Bare Ground's Guide for Martial Arts Injury Care and Prevention:

Many jumping sports get a condition known as patellar tendonitis, or jumper’s knee, from repetively jumping on a hard surface, putting stress and strain on the patellar tendon which attaches the four large quadriceps muscles (on front of the thigh) to a small bump (tibial tuberosity) just below the patella (kneecap). Pain is normally localized around this bump and the space between the patella and the bump just below the patella. Others get a similar pain because the bones of their legs are growing faster than the muscles can accommodate for, causing pain in the knee and just below in the area of the bump that the patellar tendon attaches to. This condition is most often seen in males, ages 10-15 years of age who have had a dramatic growth spurt in a short period of time. Martial artists are prone to both, even though it is not a jumping sport per se. A lot of the agility drills as well as jumping rope, can have the same effect, especially if they also run on a hard surface, such as concrete or asphalt.

Now generally the best thing to do is to rest and ice these injuries, but sometimes practice and competition schedules are not that accommodating, and a pacifier for the injury is needed. You can purchase commercially produced CHO-PAT® straps, those brown straps that you often see basketball players wearing around the leg just under the knee, to help reduce the pain. You can also use pre-wrap, applied before any type of workout using the following technique:

1. Using pre-wrap, circle the leg 10 times just below the patella (kneecap), being careful not to pull tight.

2. Then take your hands and “roll” the pre-wrap down from the top and up from the bottom until you have a “strap”.

3. To loosen, place your fingers between leg and strap and pull, stretching it to your own comfort. Simply tear to remove.