Effectiveness of eccentric exercise in patellar tendinopathy. Literary review

Introduction: Chronic patellar tendinopathy is described as the appearance of pain, inflammation and a loss of function of the patellar tendon. It is a pathology that develops through overuse in sports that involve racing, repetitive trauma and jumps. Objectives: Demonstrate the effectiveness of eccentric exercises on patellar tendinopathy, analysing some of the physiological changes that occur to the tendon and attempt to establish a protocol of specific exercises. Materials and methods: A literary search was performed of the Cochrane, ScienceDirect, Pubmed and PEDro databases. 10 articles were found that compared eccentric exercises with shockwaves, concentric exercises, a night-worn splint and stretches, grading improvements in pain, function and the quality of life of the patients. Results: The eccentric exercises were effective in treating patellar tendinopathy in comparison with other therapies such as shockwaves, stretches, night-worn splints, etc. In some of these articles evidence emerged regarding the effectiveness of eccentric exercises, in others the possibility was left open for continued research into the existence of a combination of various therapies, perhaps being the most effective and quick way of recovering from this injury. Conclusion: Eccentric exercises are effective in treating patellar tendinopathy; however, no evidence has shown that they are better than other currently applied treatments. On the other hand, no specific protocol for applying these exercises has been established.