Aasne Hoksrud, Lars Ohberg, Hakan Alfredson and Roald Bahr
Doppler ultrasound examination often reveals neovascularization in chronic painful Achilles and patellar tendinopathy. Sclerosing the area using polidocanol has shown promising clinical results in the Achilles. The purpose of this randomised controlled trial was to assess the effects of sclerosing treatment on the symptomatic patellar tendon. Thirty three participants (42 tendons) were recruited. They were randomised into a treatment group (who received polidocanol injections) and a control group (who received lidocaine/epinephrine injections). The groups were followed up at 4, 8 and 12 months. The results showed a significant improvement in the treatment group and no change in the control group at 4 months. The authors concluded that sclerosing injections with policanol resulted in a significant improvement in knee function and reduced pain in patients with patellar tendinopathy.
The American Journal of Sports Medicine 34:1738-1746 (2006)