Return to Sport After Patellar Tendon Rupture:a Systematic Review

Abstract

Background. Patellar tendon rupture is a rare and disabling injury that may occur during sport practice and is considered as the 4 th stage of the Blazina's classification of jumper's knee. Return to sport after patellar tendon rupture has not been clearly assessed. Methods. Medical databases were screened, and article research extended from 1980 to April 2019. The inclusion criteria were report of more than 2 cases of isolated and complete uni-or bilateral patellar tendon rupture, patients over 18. Studies that did not specify patients' ability to return to sport were excluded. Results. Nine studies, 196 patients and 202 patellar tendon ruptures were included. Mean follow-up ranged from 24 to 111.5 months and return to sport ranged from 52 to 100%. Crucial data were often lacking, such as the type of sport practiced, the pre-injury level of sport, and the delay of return to sport. A high proportion of patients did not report any medical history that could have weakened their patellar tendon before the rupture. Conclusions. The rate of return to sport seems good but our conclusions are restricted due to the studies' low level of evidence. It highlights the need of a standardized report of specific data.

Incidence and Risk Factors of Acute Patellar Tendon Rupture, Repair Failure, and Return to Activity in the Active-Duty Military Population

“…Reported rates of return to sports in the current literature vary from 52% to 100%, although these studies are limited in size, ranging from 4 to 66 patients. 9 The return to activity rate of 75.8% found in this present study of 483 patients thus contributes to the ability of surgeons to more confidently counsel young and active patients on reasonable expectations of returning to their previous level of activity and highlights that although rerupture rates were low, a significant proportion (24.2%) of patients were unable to return to their full previous level of activity. Even though the lower return to full activity rate of revision repairs (8/15; 53.3%) was not statistically different from that of primary cases ( P = .145), it is possible that a larger number of revision cases would be needed to reveal a statistically significant difference.…”

“…2 A systematic review of return to sports after patellar tendon rupture identified a range in reported return rates from 52% to 100%, noting a low level of evidence among the studies included. 9…”

“…2 A systematic review of return to sports after patellar tendon rupture identified a range in reported return rates from 52% to 100%, noting a low level of evidence among the studies included. 9 There is a lack of literature regarding patellar tendon rupture and factors related to reinjury after patellar tendon rupture fixation in a young and active population. The active-duty military population is young, athletic, and predominately male, and patellar tendon rupture and subsequent repair have the potential to limit the servicemember's activity and ability to return to full, unrestricted duty.…”

Impact of Patellar Tendinopathy on Isokinetic Knee Strength and Jumps in Professional Basketball Players

“…A decrease in knee strength or vertical jump performances in basketball players should more accurately be considered a consequence of PT or of another knee joint injury than a risk factor [ 15 , 16 ]. The identification of PT in professional basketball players is often difficult because players are used to playing with tendon pain without complaining, for fear of not advancing in competition [ 17 , 18 ]. As such, it is an important challenge to identify the risk of lower limb injury, such as anterior cruciate ligament tear [ 19 ], thigh muscular injuries [ 20 ] and PT.…”

A simultaneous bilateral quadriceps and patellar tendons rupture in patients with chronic kidney disease undergoing long-term hemodialysis: a case report

“…Two months after surgery, knee range of motion increased to near normal, 0°-90°. And if the correct exercise is performed, there is still a great chance of recovery and even participate in sports activities [32].…”