Arthroscopic treatment of chronic patellar tendinopathy in high-level athletes.

To present the results of arthroscopic treatment of patellar tendinopathy in high-level competition athletes. Eleven high-level athletes presented chronic patellar tendinopathy which did not respond to long term conservative treatment. Average age of the patients was 24.8 ±3.4 years old. All patients received an arthroscopic procedure with osteoplasty of the distal patellar pole, debridement of the underlying Hoffa fat pad and of the degenerated areas of the proximal posterior patella tendon and cauterization of the visible neo-vessels. Mean duration of follow-up was 17.4±4 months. Patients showed a major improvement in the Lysholm score from 49.9±5.2 to 92.5±7 and in the VISA P score from 41.2±5.2 to 86.8±14.9 on tenth post-operative week. All patients had returned to sports activities by the twelfth postoperative week. Arthroscopic treatment of chronic patellar tendinopathy found to be a minimal invasive and safe technique which produced satisfactory results.