The aim of this master's thesis was to systematically review and, through a meta-analysis, directly compare the effectiveness of different exercise programs and other therapeutic interventions among people with patellar tendinopathy. A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, Web of Science and Scopus using the search string »(patellar OR quadriceps) AND (tendinopathy OR tendinosis OR tendinitis)«. A total of 26 randomized controlled trials and randomized clinical trials, including 969 participants, were included in the final analysis. The studies compared the effects of exercise interventions (heavy slow resistance [HSR], eccentric and isometric resistance exercise, etc.), or their combinations. The main outcomes analyzed were: (a) pain intensity on the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), (b) functional status of the knee assessed by questionnaires (VISA-P, KOOS, Lysholm), (c) maximal quadriceps strength, (d) explosive quadriceps strength, and (e) patellar tendon structure assessed by different imaging techniques.
The results of the systematic review and meta-analysis for pain intensity showed that HSR and vibration training were more effective than control groups. Eccentric exercise combined with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) was more effective than with hyaluronic acid injection (HA), while shockwave therapy outperformed general physiotherapy. Wired-dose controller and wireless patch were more effective than placebo for both pain reduction and maximal strength improvement. HSR combined with leukocyte-poor plasma injection was more effective than HSR with leukocyte-rich plasma injection therapy for pain reduction. HSR improved maximal quadriceps strength more than flywheel resistance training, while eccentric exercise combined with PRP outperformed the combination with HA. For explosive strength outcomes, eccentric exercise combined with dry needling or percutaneous electrolysis showed greater improvements compared to other interventions. Regarding questionnaire outcomes, HSR was more effective than flywheel resistance training and control groups, and vibration training also showed superior results compared to control. HSR combined with ultrasound therapy showed advantages over ultrasound alone. In the results of tendon properties, vibration training caused a greater reduction in tendon cross-sectional area than the control group, as did stem cell injection compared to PRP injection.
Due to the high heterogeneity of results among included studies, we were not able to determine the most effective interventions for reducing pain, improving function, or enhancing maximal and explosive strength among patellar tendinopathy patients. Future research should focus on more homogeneous samples, precise definition of the pathology stage, and direct comparison of interventions.
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