Table 2 Studies on the effect of eccentric training on patellar tendinopathy.
| Author and publication year | Design | Intervention | Exercise prescription | Comparison | Treatment period (weeks) | Further follow‐up | Number of patients included (tendons) | Number in eccentric training group | Patients | Main outcome* | Group difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cannell et al 200118 | Randomised clinical trial | Eccentric drop squats | 3 sets of 20 drops once a day 5 days per week | Leg extension/curl (concentric training) | 12 | No | 19 | 10 | Patients recruited from different sports | Pain (VAS) | No |
| Purdam et al 200419 | Non‐randomised pilot study | Eccentric training on a decline board | 3 sets of 15 repetitions 2 times daily | Eccentric training on flat floor | 12 | 15 months | 17 | 17 | Patients recruited from a sports medicine clinic | Return to sport and VAS | Yes |
| Stasinopoulos and Stasinopoulos 200420 | Randomised clinical trial | Eccentric training and stretching | 3 sets of 15 repetitions 3 days per week | 1 Pulsed ultrasound and 2 transverse friction | 4 | 3 months | 30 | 10 | Recruited from a rehabilitation and rheumatology centre | Patient satisfaction on pain in two categories | Yes |
| Young et al 200521 | Randomised clinical trial | Eccentric training on a decline board | 3 sets of 15 repetitions 2 times daily | Eccentric training drop squats with flat heel on a step | 12 | 1 year | 17 | 17 | Patients recruited from high‐level volleyball, but intervention was off season | VISA and VAS scores | No |
| Visnes et al 200522 | Randomised clinical trial | Eccentric training on a decline board | 3 sets of 15 repetitions 2 times daily | Regular sports training; no special programme | 12 | 6 months | 29 | 15 | Patients recruited from high‐level volleyball, and intervention was during the season | VISA score | No |
| Jonsson and Alfredson 200523 | Prospective randomised study | Eccentric training on a decline board | 3 sets of 15 repetitions 2 times daily | Concentric training on a decline board | 12 | 33 months | 15 (but 19 tendons) | 8 (10 tendons) | Patients recruited from a sports clinic from different sports | Pain (VAS) and VISA score | Yes |
| Bahr et al 20069 | Randomised clinical trial | Eccentric training on a decline board | 3 sets of 15 repetitions 2 times daily | Surgical treatment | 12 | 12 months | 35 (40 tendons) | 35 (40 tendons) | Patients recruited from different sports but had severe problems | Return to sport and VISA score | No |
VAS, visual analogue scale; VISA, Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment.
*VISA Score was designed specifically to quantify knee function in subjects with patellar tendinopathy.