Patellar Tendinitis in Volleyball Players

Imagine yourself in the stands at a collegiate volleyball game watching the athletes prepare and warm up for the game they are about to play. They go through a series of warm-up drills to activate and engage every muscle so that their bodies are fully prepared to meet the demands this sport requires. Proper warm-up techniques and stretching programs help prevent injuries that may occur during a sport which stresses every joint in the body, such as volleyball.

As you watch the game, you notice how much the outside hitters have to engage their leg muscles to jump to an adequate height to create the kill they strive for. You also take notice of the libero who has to be low and in control of her legs to get down far enough to get the dig she wants. All positions in volleyball require strong and stable leg muscles to be able to withstand the load that is continuously stressed on the knee joint. Unfortunately injuries do occur pretty frequently in volleyball players; the most common knee injuries are tendinitis/tendinosis issues, meniscus tears, and ligamentous damage.

In this particular blog, we are going to focus on tendinitis issues in the knee. In the next few weeks we will discuss meniscus tears and ligament damage, respectively. Patellar tendinitis is inflammation or irritation of the tendon that connects the kneecap, also known as the patella, to the tibia.1 The most common ways of irritating that tendon and causing inflammation, also known as swelling, is by repetitive jumping.1 In the sport of volleyball the most common jumping would come from going up to block or by jumping to spike the ball.1 These types of motions create immense amount of stress on the knee joint therefore allowing tendinitis to set in quite easily.

It is much easier said than done to decrease the amount of jumping that a volleyball player must do within a game, let alone in practice. Therefore, the most beneficial treatment of patellar tendinitis will come from consistent and proper rehabilitation of the tendon.2 During resistance exercises of the quadriceps muscles which form into the patellar tendon, the biggest improvement of this injury was scene during the eccentric motion of the knee.2 Eccentric means to “work the negative” or provide a slow controlled movement of the weight away from the body.2 An example of an eccentric workout for the patellar tendon would be leg presses; the athlete is seated with their knees and hips at 90 degree angles with their feet against a weighted board that can be pushed away while they concentrate on a slow controlled movement backwards.2

In conclusion, when dealing with patellar tendinitis patients, the best route to relieve pain and get them back on track is to strengthen upper and lower leg muscles surrounding the knee.

References:

1 www.stopsportsinjuries.org/files/pdf/AOSSM_Volleyball.pdf

2 www.avca.org/includes/media/docs/preventing-volleyball-injuries.pdf