Case 47 - 50 year old female with right knee pain and swelling

Patellar tendinopathy is a common cause of anterior knee pain in an active population, which is why it's often referred to as Jumper's knee. The extensor mechanism, which includes the quadriceps and patellar tendons, is best assessed on sagittal and axial PD images. Tendon thickening and signal heterogeneity are the hallmark's of this disease. In cases that result from sports injury, the proximal third of the patellar tendon is most often affected, although not all examples are as dramatic as this. When the more distal portions of the tendon are affected it often suggests an underlying metabolic disorder (such as diabetes, chronic renal failure, gout, or rheumatoid arthritis), chronic steroid use, or connective tissue disorder.