> Skip repeated content

Tips to Avoid Jumper’s Knee

couple playing basketball

Theresa Chiaia, PT, DPT, Section Manager for Sports Rehabilitation and Performance Center, offers some tips to athletes to avoid the common knee injury known as Jumper’s Knee.

Jumper’s knee is a common condition in athletes who play power sports that involve jumping – such as basketball, volleyball and soccer, although anyone can have it. Also known as patellar tendinitis, jumper’s knee sounds like an inflammatory condition but it’s more due to degeneration of the tendon in the knee.

With jumper’s knee you may experience tenderness and/or pain to touch at the bottom of your kneecap along the tendon that attaches to your shinbone. If you experience this pain when running, jumping or walking up and down the stairs, consult a healthcare professional.

Prevention is key!

– Flexibility of the muscles and adequate range of motion of the joints above and below your knee help to take pressure off your tendon

– Training should include progressive resistive exercise to create a strength base of the abdominals, hips, quadriceps and gluteal muscles

If you think you have jumper’s knee, it is important to work with a physical therapist to help you decrease your pain and return you to your sport

Theresa Chiaia, PT, DPT is the Section Manager of the James M. Benson Sports Rehabilitation Center and Tisch Sports Performance Center at Hospital for Special Surgery. She has been part of the HSS Women’s Sports Medicine Centersince its inception and has guided athletes of all levels along the road to recovery and a successful return to competition.



Topics: Performance
The information provided in this blog by HSS and our affiliated physicians is for general informational and educational purposes, and should not be considered medical advice for any individual problem you may have. This information is not a substitute for the professional judgment of a qualified health care provider who is familiar with the unique facts about your condition and medical history. You should always consult your health care provider prior to starting any new treatment, or terminating or changing any ongoing treatment. Every post on this blog is the opinion of the author and may not reflect the official position of HSS. Please contact us if we can be helpful in answering any questions or to arrange for a visit or consult.