Arthroscopic management of patellar tendinopathy: a systematic review evaluating clinical outcomes and return to sport.
Anand Dhaliwal, Shaunton Stubbs, Matthew Hatter et al.
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In 30 seconds
This systematic review and meta-analysis assessed clinical outcomes, return to sport (RTS), and complications after arthroscopic management of patellar tendinopathy. Across the included studies, patient-reported outcome measures improved significantly after surgery. The pooled rate of return to the preinjury level of sport was 82.2%, with a pooled mean time to RTS of 4.0 months. Pooled surgical complication and secondary surgery rates were 0.8% and 1.0%, respectively. These findings describe outcomes reported in the reviewed studies and do not establish comparative effectiveness against nonoperative management or other procedures.
Key findings
- The pooled rate of RTS at the preinjury level was 82.2%; pooled mean time to RTS was 4.0 months.
- Postoperative scores improved for VISA-P (MD: 40.5; p <0.00001), Lysholm (MD: 41.6; p <0.00001), and SANE (MD: 46.3; p <0.00001).
- Pooled surgical complication and secondary surgery rates were 0.8% and 1.0%, respectively.
- VAS Pain improved (MD: 5.1; p <0.00001), as did Blazina scores (preoperative: 4.1; postoperative: 0.4; MD: 3.8; p <0.00001).
Why it matters
The review brings together reported functional outcomes, sport participation, and adverse events after arthroscopic treatment of patellar tendinopathy. The pooled results suggest that many patients in the included studies returned to their preinjury sport level and that reported complication rates were low. These estimates can inform discussions of expected outcomes, while remaining specific to the evidence and populations represented in the review.
What to keep in mind
The abstract does not report the number or characteristics of included studies or patients. The reported preoperative-to-postoperative comparisons do not establish superiority over nonoperative care or alternative procedures.