What is a Patella Band and Do They Work?

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What is a Patella Band?

If you have ever watched sports live or on TV, you may have pondered what those black or white straps around the athletes’ knees are for. These particular straps are a form of patellar bracing called infrapatellar straps or patella bands. Patella bands are designed to reduce knee pain, especially in athletes who experience knee pain with running or jumping.

Man on a blue couch putting on a Patella Band. JOI Rehab Man wearing a Patella Band

Anatomy of the Patellar Tendon

The patellar tendon is part of the quadriceps mechanism. The quadriceps muscle is the large, four-part muscle that covers the front of your thigh. When an individual contracts the quadriceps muscle it straightens the knee. The quadriceps muscle becomes tendinous around the patella, also known as the knee cap, and has its distal attachment or insertion point just below the knee cap. The tendon and connective tissue around the tendon act on the patella like a pulley system to pull the tibia, and the end result of a strong contraction is a straight leg.

Anatomy of the tendons in the human knee. JOI Rehab Anatomy of the Knee Tendons

Common Injuries to the Patellar Tendon

Repetitive contraction of the patellar tendon or quadriceps muscle can create local micro-trauma at the patellar tendon insertion point below the patella. This type of chronic strain may result in a condition of knee pain referred to as jumper’s knee. Jumper’s knee is most common among athletes who are engaged in squatting, jumping, and running activities that require moving from knee flexion to knee extension.

You can get patellar tendonitis to both tendons of the the patella. The suprapatellar tendon is above the knee and the infrapatellar tendon is below the knee.

Do Patella Bands Actually Work?

Athletes who suffer from the injuries mentioned above are the most likely to be seen wearing an infrapatellar tendon strap or patella band. The strap puts pressure on the patellar tendon with the objective of reducing the strain or tension at the point of pain. Despite how the strap may appear, it is not designed to actually push the knee cap upwards. One particular study was done to figure out what exactly is going on with these straps.

Patella Band Study

This particular study also used this opportunity to compare one brand of strap to another. In this study twenty healthy young men with no known knee problems participated. X-rays of the knees were taken with and without each strap and with the knee in a position of flexion (approximately 60 degrees of flexion). Measurements were taken from the X-rays which included:

– one angle of the patella called patellar tilt.

-the angle between the patella and patellar tendon called the patella-patellar tendon angle or PPTA

– the thickness of the patellar tendon in three places.

X-rays also displayed any changes in the patella’s pressure against the femur.

Findings of the Patella Band Study

The study found that for the majority of the men, there was a significant decrease in strain on the patellar tendon using either type of strap. There is no specific known reason that could be observed for the few men who showed no change with the strap. The authors of the study have suggested perhaps there were differences in strap tightness or possibly the strap placement level. It seems apparent that the decrease in tissue strain is directly related to the decrease in pain when using these straps. The X-rays that were taken confirmed that the patella was not pushed against the femur. It can also be inferred that the straps do increase the patella-patellar tendon angle while simultaneously decreasing the patellar tendon length.

Conclusion

If you have patellar tendonitis or Jumper’s knee, a patellar band may actually help you. You can purchase a patellar band at JOI or a local drug store. It is important to note, make sure that you have been properly evaluated to determine that you have patellar tendonitis.

Written By: Justin Carmel PT

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