Sinding-Larsen-Johansson Disease (Jumper's Knee)
What Is Jumper's Knee?
Sinding-Larsen-Johansson (SLJ) disease is an overuse condition in the knee, commonly seen in growing, active athletes. As an adolescent runs and jumps, the muscles propel the skeleton by pulling on the bones. Sometimes the repetitive stresses of these activities produce pain, tenderness and swelling (inflammation) around the knee area.
SLJ occurs at the lower end of the knee cap where the patellar tendon originates. The same forces occur at both ends. The tendon takes off directly from the layer covering the bone, known as the periosteum. If the repetitive pulling overworks this site, the periosteum becomes inflamed and begins to lay down more bone to reinforce the site. In adults and occasionally in youngsters, only tendon inflammation (tendonitis) occurs, and this is often referred to as “jumper’s knee”—a very common problem, particularly in basketball players.
Are X-rays Necessary?
Radiographs (X-rays) may be ordered by your doctor to confirm the diagnosis or to exclude other problems. Often, the diagnosis is made based upon the clinical information and the physician’s experience. X-rays are more likely to be ordered if the condition affects only one side, or if there are other factors raising your physician’s concern to other possible diagnoses.
What Can Be Done?
The principles of treating SLJ include applying ice to the knee area, taking antiinflammatory medicines as directed by the physician and modifying activities (see relief treatments). There are rarely any complications of SLJ and symptoms generally resolve. Patellar tendonitis (jumper’s knee) can occur at any age and is not due to a failure to treat this during youth. Physical therapy may be ordered by the physician to instruct the athlete in proper jumping and landing techniques and quadriceps and hamstring stretching and strengthening exercises. Regardless of age, knee sleeves are often helpful and may be available through doctors, physical therapists, pharmacists and sporting supply stores. Generally, brace fit and comfort are the most important considerations.
Relief Treatments
Ice: Icing can be a very effective anti-inflammatory treatment. The best time to apply ice is immediately after the workout, such as the car ride home from the game or practice field. One effective way is to apply an ice cup massage. Fill several styrofoam cups with water and freeze them. When frozen, tear off one inch around the cup’s rim to create a frozen snow cone. The ice should be applied directly to the sore area in a circular massaging motion until the area becomes numb, usually about 10 to 15 minutes. This can be repeated every 60 to 90 minutes, several times a day.
Medicine: Anti-inflammatory medicine or NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-flammatory drugs) can be another effective treatment. Your physician may suggest an over-the-counter medicine such as ibuprofen (Motrin®, Advil®) or naproxen (Aleve®) or may prescribe a medicine for you. For those young athletes who can swallow pills, Aleve® works well, since it needs to be taken only twice a day (morning and night). It doesn’t need to be taken during school or right before workouts. Ibuprofen should be taken three times a day. Anti-inflammatory medicine should be taken for 10 to 14 days to allow the medicine to build up in your system to therapeutic levels. Taking medicine every now and then allows the levels in your system to drop, which decreases its effectiveness.
Printable Brochure on Sinding-Larsen-Johanssen (Jumper's Knee)
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