Intro

Around August 2010 I started feeling a slight twinge in both my knees about 10 minutes into my runs. As I hadn’t run much in the past 6 months and with the typical ‘runners mentality’ I decided to run through the pain. Big mistake. A month later I had full blown Patella Tendonitis. This stubborn flare up refused to heal, and after not resting my knees sufficiently the tendonitis became patella tendonosis. Any way you look at it, or whatever you want to call it, I had severe tendonopathies of both of my knees. A sport injury which is notoriously tricky to kick.

Fast forward to May 2012. Its been over a year and a half (21 months to be precise) and my knees are around 90% better but I’m still nowhere near to the level I was running before my tenonopathy. I have tried practically every available treatment- from eccentric strengthening exercises, to massage, to orthotics, to patella straps, to low level laser light therapy to MSM, fish oil, glucosamine and chondroitin supplements until I eventually went for surgery on both knees in August 2012- Patella tendon debridement/shaving. 


Each of these treatments I feel have somehow improved my knees incrementally. Although I do feel the surgery could have been avoided and I would have made the same progress (it has a 50% success rate, not great, but I decided to take the gamble and I don’t regret my decision as my knees are now, after 9 months, better off than they were before).

In order to finally push my knees to that 100% mark and get down to  some real running I have decided to try a PRP (Platelet Rich Plasma) Injection(s) into my left tendon. The treatment is widely publicized and highly talked about yet there is limited concrete medical evidence of its effectiveness- some patients claim it’s cured them while others claim no benefit. So as means to help out anyone in a similar to position to myself, I have decided to document my experience with PRP Injections for Patella tendonopathy here.

I will also document the other treatments I have and currently make use of- and give you some idea of their effectiveness. This blog is purely here to help anyone in the same situation as myself- those who love running or being active but have had their sporting performance significantly impacted by this misunderstood, complicated and debilitating injury. I hope this blog helps you in some way. Feel free to leave comments and I will try my best to reply to you.

I go for my first PRP Injection Monday 21 May 2012.