Regenerative Treatment: An Approach to Treat Jumper’s Knee or Patellar Tendonitis

Jumper’s knee or patellar tendonitis is typically an overuse injury which is very common in runners. It is best to start treatment for jumper’s knee as soon as possible after the injury is sustained and continue as advised by the doctor.

Knee joints are large and complex joints enabling us to perform some very amazing things. While walking, the knee joint experiences a pressure that is approximately three times the body’s weight and about five times the body’s weight when running or going downhill. In short, a person who weighs 80 kg puts about 400kg of pressure on the knee when landing each running stride. The extreme pressure felt on the knees make it more prone to injury, especially in runners and cyclists who continuously use their knees.

Patella also is known as the kneecap is a flat circular-triangle bone which articulates with the thigh bone and covers the anterior surface of the knee joint. Injury to the connecting structure of the patella causes pain at the front of the knee, along with swelling and redness.

What is the treatment for jumper’s knee?

The primary treatment for jumper’s knee include:

  • NSAID’s – non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
  • R.I.C.E. – Rest, ice, compression and elevation
  • Physiotherapy
  • Bracing 
  • Cortisone injections
  • Dry needling
  • Hyperthermia thermotherapy
  • Extracorporeal shockwave treatment known as ECSWA.
  • Enhanced PRP or Enhanced Platelet Rich Plasma

Or surgical options such as:

  • Arthroscopic debridement. A small camera, along with several surgical tools, is inserted into the knee joint through small openings. The surgical instruments are then very carefully manipulated by the surgeon to remove damaged tissue and to smoothen jarred edges.
  • Arthroscopic resection of the inferior aspect of the patella. It is a method to remove or realign any damaged piece of the inferior aspect of the patella that may be putting unwanted stress on the patellar tendon.

Another very efficient option that is commonly overlooked is the Regenerative Treatment. 

The Regenerative treatment works remarkably well for injured tendons, ligaments and sprained muscles. However, there are a few conditions where Regenerative treatment is not feasible. With Regenerative treatments like Enhanced PRP, the injuries heal rapidly without undergoing any painful procedure like surgery.

We, at Medica Stem Cells, focus on the principles of Regenerative treatment which involves harvesting cells from the patient’s body. The procedure is a minimally invasive same-day treatment. The harvested cells help to kick start a healing cascade and decrease the recovery time. Regenerative therapy helps to heal, restore and regrow some of the damaged tissues.

How Regenerative treatment helps in treating the jumper’s knee?

Regenerative treatment is an alternative treatment option and is very useful for many conditions and injuries. Usually, patients rely on pain-killers to manage pain. Pain-killers manage pain but do not treat the cause of pain, whereas Regenerative therapy focuses on it. In Regenerative treatment, the symptoms and cause of pain are managed by using the biological materials that are harvested from the patient’s body. The Regenerative therapy not only promotes healing but also helps to regenerate tissues and thus, to combat pain.

Medica Stem Cells provides a minimally invasive treatment method under local anaesthesia for a speedier recovery and with less risk of infection or complications when compared to invasive surgery. According to several studies, it is noted that Enhanced Enhanced Platelet Rich Plasma or Enhanced PRP works very well in treating damaged ligaments and tendons. Enhanced PRP not only manages the symptoms of jumper’s knee but also helps to promote healing of the damaged connective tissues.

Often people who undergo surgery continue to experience symptoms like numbness, tenderness, or reduced range of movement or reduced function. The surgery also has a lengthy post-operative recovery and requires rehabilitation to restore the mobility of the joint. Unlike conventional treatment, Regenerative treatment is a same-day procedure with minimal pain. Generally, no rehabilitation is necessary to reinstate the movement of the joints.

What are the options of Regenerative treatment for jumper’s knee?

Regenerative Treatment options are:

• Prolotherapy

Enhanced Platelet Rich Plasma or Enhanced PRP therapy

• Mesenchymal cell therapy 

• Stromal Vascular Fraction therapy 

In some instances, a combination of more than one therapy is the treatment protocol. For some patients, a series of injections are administered for several treatment sessions. The choice of treatment is at the discretion of the consultant and based on your case.

What are the benefits of Regenerative treatment?

With so many different treatment options available, it is evident for you to think about why should I opt for Regenerative treatment? Regenerative treatments are not just non-surgical procedures with no risk of rejection, minimal recovery time and minimal worry. But you are fully awake during the treatment. And you can travel home within a few hours after administration of the injections in the affected area.

Other benefits that are to be considered include:

  • Minimal-invasive procedure.
  •  Same day procedure.
  • Joints become mobile within a few days after the Regenerative treatment.
  • No ugly post-operative scars.
  • Rehabilitation of joints is not required.

What to expect after the Regenerative treatment for jumper’s knee?

The Regenerative therapy is an orthobiological treatment and requires some time to initiate repair of the damaged or injured tissue in the affected area. The effect of the treatment is not instantaneous. It requires around thirty days for the patient to experience early signs of improvement such as reduced pain or increase in function of the affected joint or sometimes both. Following the procedure, some patients complain of mild discomfort at the site of treatment which can persist anything from a day up to a few days. Generally, the pain or ache is easily managed by rest, and if needed, simple pain-killers.

The Regenerative treatment has a strong anti-inflammatory effect, mostly due to the release of cytokines and growth factor. The anti-inflammatory effect usually lasts for around two to three months, thus reducing inflammation of the affected area. A perpetual improvement is seen as the tissues begin to heal in the affected areas.

Patients will require to attend follow up consultations up to six months post-treatment. The review sessions allow the patient to explain their progress which is then compared to their medical records before starting Regenerative treatment. The review is carried out by one of our doctors at our clinic.

Regenerative treatment is very effective in many cases; however, the outcome of the treatment varies for every patient and mainly depends on factors like age, lifestyle, type and severity of the condition and other factors.

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