Application of Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy for Recalcitrant Patellar Tendinopathy Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction with Patellar Tendon Autograft

Case Report | Vol 5 | Issue 2 |  July-December 2025 | page: 28-31 | Connor Richmond, Vincent Thieu, Mani Singh

DOI: https://doi.org/10.13107/jrs.2025.v05.i02.177

Open Access License: CC BY-NC 4.0

Copyright Statement: Copyright © 2025; The Author(s).

Submitted Date: 19 Sep 2025, Review Date: 02 Nov 2025, Accepted Date: Nov 2025 & Published: 30 Dec 2025

Author: Connor Richmond [1], Vincent Thieu [1], Mani Singh [2]

[1] NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Columbia University Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine & Weill Cornell Department of Rehabilitation Medicine
[2] Department of Rehabilitation and Regenerative Medicine, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, United States.

Address of Correspondence
Na Chen,
Department of Internal Medicine, Peking University Hospital, Beijing, China. E-mail: 18901267905@163.com; CN09558@pku.edu.cn.

Abstract

Purpose: Extracorporeal Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has been increasingly utilized for musculoskeletal pathology, including conditions such as patellar tendinopathy. More recently, there is growing evidence to support the use of ESWT following anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction to support post-operative rehabilitation and optimize return to sport.
We report a case of a 21-year-old collegiate male athlete with a relevant history of Osgood–Schlatter disease who suffered from an acute ACL rupture and subsequently underwent ACL reconstruction (ACLR) using bone-patellar tendon-bone (BTB) autograft. His rehabilitation course was complicated by worsening anterior knee pain consistent with patellar tendinopathy. His symptomatic knee was treated with four sessions of ESWT using both focused and radial devices. He was able to return to play 1 month later with improvement in pain, quadriceps strength, and on-field sports-specific function.
ESWT may serve as an adjunct to conventional rehabilitation following ACLR, particularly in patients experiencing patellar tendon-related pain.
Keywords: Patellar Tendinopathy; Anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction; Focused shock waves, Radial pressure waves

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