Patellar Tendonitis?

[js3424]

Maybe 12 or so hours after squatting, I start to get pain in what feels like the patellar tendon going down from my knee. This happens consistently after every time I squat, and is in my right leg only (maybe a tiny bit in my left, but it hardly causes any pain). The pain is triggered by me putting weight on my right leg while bending it. When the knee gets near/passes the toes, the pain is at its worst.

I took a month's break due to illness and school, and everything went away. Coming back, the pain returned in two workouts. I don't have any recent videos of my squats other than this one from two months ago:



I fixed my depth after seeing that I was a little bit short here, but everything else seemed to be fine. I keep my knees out, and my knees don't go past my toes.

Does this seem like patellar tendonitis?

[Mark Rippetoe]

How old are you, and do you have a bump on the front of your knee below your kneecap?

[js3424]

I'm 21. There isn't really a bump there, but I did have osgood-schlatter pain when i was younger (14-16) if that's what you're thinking. This feels different and higher up on my knee. There's also no pain when I touch the area, only when I put weight on it with a bent knee, like getting up out of a chair with a decent bit of the weight on that foot.

[Mark Rippetoe]

So your knee just hurts a little?

[js3424]

It hurts alot, but only when I put bend my knee while standing or getting up. Want to figure out what it is so I can do something about it before it worsens.

[tescott]

This comes up again and again. Obviously, that's why Rip moved it here. Patellar tendinitis is usually fixed by stretching and foam rolling the surrounding muscles/structures: calves, hammies, quads (especially rectus femoris), adductors and ITB. Do that for a while and see how you go. Also check out mobilitywod.com.

[js3424]

I don't think it is patellar tendonitis. The tendon isn't sore when i press on it, and the pain doesn't seem to run along it.

It's as bad as it's ever been right now, and I can't really understand what it is. If I squat down a bit to where my knee is aligned with my toes and push my weight down on it, i get pain somewhere inside the kneecap. When I then straighten my leg, something in the knee locks up a bit and slowly straightens, causing more of the same pain along with some sort of internal movement feeling.

Meniscus, maybe? =/

[Rob Waskis]

Does this seem like patellar tendonitis?

I don't think it is patellar tendonitis.

Hmmm.

[tescott]

Regardless of what it is exactly, how's your mobility?

[DGA]

I don't think it is patellar tendonitis. The tendon isn't sore when i press on it, and the pain doesn't seem to run along it.

Meniscus, maybe? =/

Despite missing those symptoms, it may be patellar tendonitis. Also, clicking in the knees can occur for a variety of (nonpathological) conditions besides a meniscus tear. Foam rolling (or PVC rolling) and stretching your hips, quads, hamstrings, calves/ankles is a good place to start regardless of the diagnosis.