Ultrasound-guided Percutaneous Tendon Scraping: A Novel Technique for Treating Patellar Tendinopathy

Abstract

Patellar tendinopathy is commonly encountered in orthopedic and sports medicine clinics. Ultrasound-guided (USG) percutaneous tendon scraping is well described for Achilles tendinopathy, but not patellar tendinopathy. This manuscript describes the technique and reports results from a case series of patients with patellar tendinopathy treated with USG percutaneous tendon scraping. A retrospective review of the medical record identified 6 patients who underwent tendon scraping for patellar tendinopathy. This was a retrospective case series performed by searching the medical record for patients who underwent tendon scraping for patellar tendinopathy. Six patients met the criteria for inclusion. Five had primary patellar tendinopathy and 1 had continued pain despite open debridement. There were 3 competitive athletes and 3 recreational athletes. No major adverse events were reported. All competitive athletes safely returned to the sport at 1 month. At an average follow-up of 13.5±6 months, mean improvement in the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Patellar Tendon (VISA-P) score was 53±24.2 points. At the final follow-up, 83% of patients experienced a clinically significant improvement in symptoms. USG percutaneous patellar tendon scraping is a minimally invasive intervention that may improve symptoms and help patients safely return to sport/activity. Because the intervention is entirely outside of the tendon, it is low risk and may be useful for in-season athletes.