Publication Date

8-13-2013

Type of Culminating Activity

Thesis

Degree Title

Master of Science in Kinesiology

Department

Kinesiology

Supervisory Committee Chair

John McChesney

Supervisory Committee Member

Kirk Lewis

Supervisory Committee Member

David Hammons

Abstract

Objective: To present a case of a competitive football player with chronic patellar tendinopathy and the associated bilateral tibial tubercle transfer surgeries performed leading to the reduction of pain and return to participation.

Background: A 19 year-old male football athlete (height= 187.96 cm, mass= 112.037 kg) presented with chronic patellar tendinopathy that began in his high school career and continued to worsen with the increased physical demands associated with participation in collegiate sport.

Differential Diagnosis: Chondromalacia patella and Osgood Schlatters disease.

Treatment: After nonsurgical intervention resulted in no decrease of pain, bilateral tibial tubercle transfer surgery was conducted to correct biomechanical flaws and decrease the amount of strain on patellar tendon.

Uniqueness: Patellar tendinopathy is a common athletic injury that is often resolved with the use of rest, therapeutic modalities, and rehabilitative exercise. This case showed no resolution with traditional treatment methods. Therefore, a more aggressive treatment was performed. Surgical anterior tibial tubercle transfer is most commonly performed to correct chronic patellar subluxation rather than used to treat patellar tendinopathy making this case unique.

Conclusions: It is our assumption that tibial tubercle transfer surgeries corrected causative structural factors within the patient’s knee that resulted in a decrease in pain with exercise. This case argues in favor for more research in the treatment of severe cases of patellar tendinopathy.

Key Words: patellar tendinopathy, tibial tubercle transfer, case report

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