Chronic painful tendinopathy is a common cause for elite- and recreational athletes to stop or decrease the level of their sports activity. Recent research on innervation patterns, histopathology and possible pain mechanisms in tendons has led to an increased knowledge about the chronic painful tendon. Ultrasound (US) and colourDoppler (CD) examination showing localized high blood flow, inside and outside regions with structural tendon abnormalities, has been shown to be of importance for tendon pain. Immuno-histochemical analyses of biopsies have shown sensory and sympathetic nerves in close relation to the high blood flow outside the tendon. These findings have led to new ideas about development of new treatment methods for chronic painful tendinopathy. In study I, we evaluated the already in use, US-guided sclerosing polidocanol injection treatment of midportion Achilles tendinopathy, using two different concentrations of the substance. This study aimed to find out if there was a faster return to pain-free activity by using the concentration 10 mg/ml compared to the formerly used 5 mg/ml. There were no significant differences in the clinical results between the groups. In study II - Technical note, we aimed to develop a new one-stage surgical treatment method for patellar tendinopathy. This method was based on research concerning the innervation patterns and US and CD findings in patellar tendinopathy/ “jumper’s knee”. Technically we added ultrasound guidance to knee arthroscopy to identify and visualize the region of interest during a surgical shaving procedure. In study III, we tested the newly invented US and CD-guided arthroscopic shaving technique in a pilot study. The short-term clinical results were promising and the majority of the patients returned to pain-free activity after a short rehabilitation period. In study IV, we compared the US and CD-guided artrhroscopic shaving method with the already in use sclerosing polidocanol injection treatment in a randomized study. At short-term follow-up, the patients treated with US and CD-guided arthroscopic shaving had significantly less pain during rest and activity, were significantly more satisfied with the treatment, and had a faster return to sports, compared to the patients in the sclerosing injection group. There were no complications. In study V, at longer-term followup (endpoint 46 months) there was a significant decrease in pain during activity in both groups. There were no remaining significant differences in the pain levels during activity between the groups. The tendon structure had improved significantly in both groups. There was a significant decrease in the antero-posterior thickness of the proximal patellar tendon in patients treated with US and CD-guided arthroscopic shaving, but not in the sclerosing injection group. The CD flow had diminished significantly in both groups, and there was a correlation between low CD flow and high patient satisfaction in both groups, The CD flow decreased faster in the surgical group than in the injection group. In conclusion, this newly invented US and CD-guided arthroscopic shaving treatment, focusing on treatment outside the tendon, has shown good clinical results with pain relief and a fast return to sports activity, in patients with patellar tendinopathy.

The principal aim of the present thesis was to prospectively follow (clinical status and ultrasound + Doppler findings) the patellar tendons in the young elite volleyball players at the Swedish National Centre for high school volleyball in Falköping. In an Olympic weightlifter with chronic painful jumper´s knee, the effects of treatment with sclerosing injections followed by early instituted very heavy weightlifting training, was also evaluated. First, in a prevalence study, we demonstrated that the clinical diagnosis patellar tendinopathy-jumper’s knee, together with structural tendon changes and vascularisation in the painful area of the tendon, was demonstrated in 12/114 tendons in Swedish junior elite volleyball players, but not in any tendons of individually matched (age, height and weight) not regularly sports active controls. Structural tendon changes alone was demonstrated among the volleyball players but also among the controls. In a 7 months prospective study of a total of 120 tendons, we demonstrated that the clinical diagnosis patellar tendinopathy-jumper’s knee was associated with neovessels/vascularity in the area with structural tendon changes in 17/19 tendons. Seventy tendons that at start were clinically normal, and had normal ultrasound + Doppler findings, remained clinically normal after 7 months with intensive training and playing volleyball. In a 3-year prospective study it was demonstrated that normal clinical tests and normal ultrasound + Doppler findings at school start, indicated a low risk (8%) for these players to sustain patellar tendinopathy-jumper’s knee during the 3 school years with intensive training and playing. In a case study, involving an Olympic elite weightlifter with chronic painful patellar tendinopathy-jumper’s knee, successful treatment with ultrasound and Doppler-guided injection of the sclerosing agent polidocanol, allowed for pain-free very heavy weight training two weeks after treatment. Further heavy weightlifting training on a daily basis, preparing for European Championships, was done without causing tendon rupture and/or pain. Key words: Jumper’s knee, Patellar tendinopathy, Chronic pain, Ultrasonography, Doppler, Neovascularisation, Volleyball, Weightlifting

Submitted by Luciana Sebin (lusebin@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-19T11:30:55Z No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRSS.pdf: 3429310 bytes, checksum: 86753c807ecc922d1c172edf0e7b1472 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-20T18:09:53Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRSS.pdf: 3429310 bytes, checksum: 86753c807ecc922d1c172edf0e7b1472 (MD5) / Approved for entry into archive by Marina Freitas (marinapf@ufscar.br) on 2016-09-20T18:10:02Z (GMT) No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRSS.pdf: 3429310 bytes, checksum: 86753c807ecc922d1c172edf0e7b1472 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2016-09-20T18:10:11Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 TeseRSS.pdf: 3429310 bytes, checksum: 86753c807ecc922d1c172edf0e7b1472 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2016-02-19 / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Patellar tendinopathy (PT) is one of the most common causes of knee pain in athletes. The prevalence of PT in elite volleyball athletes can be as high as 45%. Studies assessing lower limb muscles strength and flexibility and trunk and lower limb biomechanics during sports related activities are scarce. Also, the effects of interventions focusing on jump-landing strategy modifications to reduce the overload in the knee joint in athletes with PT have not yet been investigated. The purposes of this Thesis were: to compare hip, knee and ankle torques, as well as knee and ankle flexibility between athletes with and without PT; to compare trunk and lower limb sagittal plane biomechanics during jump-landings between athletes with and without PT; to verify the effects of an intervention of hip muscles strengthening and jump-landing strategy modification on pain, function and lower limb biomechanics in a volleyball athlete with PT and; to verify the immediate effects of changing sagittal plane trunk position on lower limb biomechanics and knee pain during jump-landings in athletes with and without PT. For the isometric torque evaluations, a handheld dynamometer was used. An inclinometer was used for the flexibility tests. For the landing biomechanics evaluations, motion capture systems and force platforms were used. The athletes’ pain and disability were assessed by means of a visual analogue scale and the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella questionnaire. Results showed that the athletes with PT presented lower hip extensor torque and lower hamstrings and ankle flexibility when compared to healthy athletes. In the biomechanical evaluation, athletes with PT displayed less hip flexion during jump-landings and smaller contribution of the hip joint for dissipation of the landing forces when compared to healthy athletes. The eight-week intervention composed by hip strengthening exercises and jump-landing strategy modification decreased pain and disability and improved lower limb biomechanics during jump-landing in an athlete with PT, both in short and long term. Finally, increasing trunk flexion during jump-landings produced immediate effects of: 1) reducing peak patellar tendon force in athletes with and without PT; 2) reducing knee pain during landings in athletes with PT. Proximal factors of the kinetic chain, such as hip strength and hip/trunk movements during jump-landings, should not be overlooked in the development of interventions for the rehabilitation of athletes with PT. / Tendinopatia patelar (TP) é uma das causas mais comuns de dor no joelho em atletas. Em atletas de elite de voleibol, a prevalência de TP pode chegar a 45%. Estudos avaliando a força e flexibilidade dos músculos do membro inferior e a biomecânica do membro inferior e tronco durante atividades relacionadas ao esporte em atletas com TP são escassos. Além disso, a eficácia de intervenções enfocando a modificação da estratégia de aterrissagem de saltos para diminuição da sobrecarga no joelho em atletas com TP ainda não foi testada. Os objetivos da presente Tese foram: comparar o torque do quadril, joelho e tornozelo, bem como a flexibilidade do joelho e tornozelo entre atletas com e sem TP; comparar a biomecânica do membro inferior e tronco no plano sagital durante aterrissagem de salto entre atletas com e sem TP; verificar os efeitos de uma intervenção de fortalecimento dos músculos do quadril e modificação da estratégia de aterrissagem de salto na dor, função e biomecânica do membro inferior de um atleta de voleibol com TP e; verificar os efeitos imediatos de se alterar a posição do tronco no plano sagital na biomecânica do membro inferior e na dor no joelho durante aterrissagens em atletas com e sem TP. Na avaliação do torque isométrico do quadril, joelho e tornozelo, um dinamômetro manual foi utilizado. Para as avaliações de flexibilidade, utilizou-se um inclinômetro. As avaliações biomecânicas da aterrissagem de saltos foram feitas com sistemas de análise de movimento e plataformas de força. Para avaliação da dor e incapacidade dos atletas foram utilizadas a escala visual analógica e o questionário Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patella. Os resultados mostraram que os atletas com TP apresentaram menor torque extensor do quadril e menor flexibilidade nos isquiotibiais e no tornozelo em comparação a atletas sadios. Na avaliação biomecânica, observou-se que atletas com TP apresentaram menor flexão do quadril durante a aterrissagem e menor contribuição da articulação do quadril para a dissipação das forças da aterrissagem em comparação aos atletas sadios. A intervenção de oito semanas de fortalecimento da musculatura do quadril e modificação da estratégia de aterrissagem de salto diminuiu a dor e a incapacidade e melhorou a biomecânica da aterrissagem em um atleta com TP, tanto em curto quanto em longo prazo. Por fim, o aumento da flexão do tronco durante aterrissagens de salto teve um efeito imediato de redução no pico de força no tendão patelar em atletas com e sem TP, além de reduzir a dor no joelho em atletas com TP. Fatores proximais da cadeia cinética, como a força do quadril e os movimentos do quadril e tronco durante aterrissagens de salto, não devem ser negligenciados no delineamento de intervenções para a reabilitação de atletas com TP.