Introduction: Patellar tendinopathy, commonly known as jumper's knee, is a clinical diagnosis of a painful and dysfunctional patellar tendon. It is the most common cause of patellar tendon pain. Patients with patellar tendinopathy can engage in limited sporting activities, which is negatively affecting their health and quality of life. For elite athletes, patellar tendinopathy can often lead to a forced finishing of career. The mechanism of developing patellar tendinopathy is not well known and there are few therapeutic interventions with good evidence to support their use. Currently, the most effective treatment is eccentric resistance training for knee extensor muscles. Purpose: To present an individualized physiotherapy program with an emphasis on eccentric exercise in a patient with chronic bilateral patellar tendinopathy. Methods: The patient was a 20-year-old basketball player who had been having problems with patellar tendon pain for the last two years. Based on the data gathered from the evaluation, we developed an individualized physiotherapy program. The program consisted of the initial phase comprising passive physiotherapy interventions and the intermediate phase comprising therapeutic exercise. The training program placed emphasis on eccentric exercise, but it also included some concentric and isometric exercise. Subjective pain intensity was measured with a visual analog scale, total training volume and a three-repetition maximum on the leg press machine were used as outcome measures. After a year and a half, we did a follow-up evaluation. Results: Subjective pain intensity has reduced from 8 for the right leg and 6 for the left leg to 0 for both legs. Total training volume has increased from 2700 kg to 5600 kg. The three-repetition maximum on the leg press machine has increased from 50 kg at the first training appointment to 165kg at the last training appointment. Discussion and conclusion: Physiotherapy of patients with chronic bilateral patellar tendinopathy is a complex process, which demands an individualized approach. It can be concluded that our physiotherapy program was successful from both the therapeutic and educational point of view. The patient successfully integrated the strategies used in our therapy program into his sporting activities and remained pain-free at the follow-up evaluation.
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