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Low Energy Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy as a Treatment for Chronic Patella Tendinopathy


John Patrick Furia, MD
UNITED STATES

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Low Energy Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy as a Treatment for Chronic Patella Tendinopathy

John Patrick Furia, MD, UNITED STATES Jan D. Rompe, MD, GERMANY Angelo Cacchio, MD, ITALY Nicola Maffulli, MD, PhD, MS, FRCS(Orth), UNITED KINGDOM

SUN Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, Lewisburg, PA, USA

2013 Congress   Paper Abstract   2013 Congress   Not yet rated

 

Patient Populations

Professional Athletes / Olympians

Anatomic Location

Knee

Anatomic Structure

Tendon

Diagnosis / Condition

Trauma

Sports Medicine

Preventative Sports Medicine Exercise Physiology Rehabilition / Physical Therapy Sport Specific Injuries Evidence Based Medicine

Treatment / Technique

Stem Cell Therapy

Summary: A single application of radial SWT is a safe and effective treatment for chronic patellar tendinopathy

Purpose

Extracorporeal shock wave therapy (SWT) is effective for the management of chronic recalcitrant tendinopathy. The objective of the current study was to assess if SWT is effective for treatment of chronic patellar tendinopathy.

Methods

Thirty-three patients with chronic patellar tendinopathy received low-energy SWT. Thirty-three patients with chronic patellar tendinopathy received additional forms of non-operative therapy (control group). Evaluation was by change in visual analog score (VAS), Victoria Institute of Sport Assessment Score for patellar tendinopathy (VISA - P) score and by Roles and Maudsley score.

Results

Mean pre-treatment VAS scores for the control and SWT groups were 7.5 and 7.8 respectively. One month, 3 months, and 12 months after treatment, the mean VAS for the control and SWT groups were 6.7 and 4.3 (p<0.001), 5.9 and 3.5 (p<0.001), and 5.1 and 2.7 (p<0.001) respectively. One month, 3 months, and 12 months after treatment, the mean VISA for the control and SWT groups were 50.7 and 65.5 (p<.001), 52.1 and 71 (p<0.001), and 54.9 and 74.5 (p<0.001) respectively. At final follow-up, the number of excellent, good, fair, and poor results for the SWT and control groups were 8 and 3 (p<0.001), 17 and 10 (p<0.001), 5 and 16 (p<0.001), and 3 and 4 (p<0.001) respectively. The percentage of patients with excellent (“1”) or good (“2”) Roles and Maudsley scores (i.e. successful results) 12 months after treatment was statistically greater in the SWT group compared to the control group (p<0.001).

Conclusion

A single application of radial SWT is an effective treatment for chronic patellar tendinopathy.
Level of evidence III.


Keywords:
ESWT, patellar tendon, tendinopathy, Jumper’s knee