SUMMARY
AbstractPatellar tendinopathy or 'jumper's knee' is a common cause of anterior knee pain in athletes. This condition is often resistant to therapy and can cause a premature end to a professional sporting career. MRI and high-definition ultrasound are the modalities of choice for evaluating the athlete with anterior knee pain. Ultrasound with a linear, high-resolution 10 or 12 MHz probe is suggested. Comparison is always made with the presumed normal contralateral tendon. MRI, although more expensive, is not operator-dependent. It also demonstrates a more global picture. Fluid-sensitive studies are used in the axial and sagittal planes. The pathology of patellar tendinopathy represents a tendinosis, rather than a tendonitis, due to the absence of inflammatory cells.