Ok, I know, it doesn’t exactly work, and tendon grafts aren’t the stuff of childhood playground taunts, but the point is, if you or your student has had tissue harvested from the patella tendon to replace other tissue damaged beyond repair (severed ACL, anyone?), it’s critically important to rehabilitate the graft site.

After a portion of the patella tendon is removed, scar tissue builds up and deadens sensation below the knee. It feels like your cheek after the dentist has shot you up with Novocaine. Thick and fuzzy. So I can’t feel much in that little divet below my knee—so what? The ‘so what’ is that the patella tendon can rupture. It doesn’t happen often, but it’s is more likely when the tendon is already compromised (as in, half of it is being used somewhere else). If it ruptures, your knee buckles and you can’t stand.

The patella tendon is a continuation of the quadriceps tendon. So to get that thick and fuzzy fascia feeling good again, knead your knees with YTU Therapy Balls all the way around the kneecap from the quad tendon to the patella tendon. The gripping, grabbing, twisting and wringing of the balls will help break up scar tissue, restore sensation, circulation and health. Here’s a how-to video for this version of knee self massage:

Learn about Quickfix RX: KneeHab for Knee Pain

Learn about our Therapy Ball Programs.

Comments (13)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *