Epidemiology

In the general population, the prevalence of patellar tendinopathy ranges from 1.1 to 1.6 per 1,000 person-year. The incidence ranges from 0.5 to 1.6 per 1,000 person-year.^1,2

There is no important difference in the prevalence of patellar tendinopathy between men and women.^1,2

Unlike the findings in the general population, patellar tendinopathy seems to affect men athletes at a larger extent than women athletes.^3,4 Among recreational athletes, the prevalence in men and women is 10% and 6%, respectively.³ Similarly, in elite sport, the prevalence of patellar tendinopathy is 14% and 6% in men and women, respectively.⁴ Definitive reasons for these differences are still unclear, but they will be explored in more depth in the pathophysiology section of this toolkit.^6,7

Prevalence across different sports modalities

The prevalence of patellar tendinopathy varies among different sports and different levels of training.  The prevalence of this condition is greater in sports with high-impact loads on the knee extensor mechanism (comprises the quadriceps muscles, quadriceps tendon, the patella, and the patellar tendon, that together are responsible for extending the tibiofemoral joint), such as volleyball, basketball and athletics.^3,4 Sports with a low-impact load, such as cycling, have lower prevalence than high-impact sports.⁴

In recreational athletes, the sport with the highest prevalence of patellar tendinopathy is volleyball (14%), followed by handball (13%) and basketball (12%).³ In elite athletes, there is a significant increase in the prevalence of patellar tendinopathy to 45% in volleyball, 15% in handball and 32% in basketball athletes. In soccer, the prevalence also follows a similar trend increasing from 2.5% in recreational athletes to 5 to 13% in elite athletes.⁴ Patellar tendinopathy has also a high prevalence (13%) in rugby players.⁵