Popliteus tendinopathy refers to dysfunction within the popliteus tendon which lies to the outside of the back of the knee joint.
Function:
The function of the popliteus tendon is to control movement of the knee joint. The popliteus muscle runs at the back of the knee from the lateral (outside) condyle of the femur down to the medial, posterior surface of the tibia. It is a knee flexor and internal rotator, and often considered to be the cause for restricted knee extension in the knee with insertion into the lateral meniscus (Soda, Fujihashi and Aoki, 2016).
Common reasons:
Rare and uncommon pathology often occurs in athletes or people with history of other knee ligament injuries after trauma- unusual condition in non- athletes. Repetitive use of the popliteus muscle and, therefore, the popliteus tendon can lead to microscopic tears within the substance of the tendon.
Treatment:
Management of this condition involves Physiotherapy to correct abnormal biomechanics by strengthening the knee and analysing training techniques.
References:
Soda N., Fujuhashi Y. and Aoki T, 2016, In vivo ultrasound imaging of the popliteus muscle: investigation of functional characteristics, The Journal of Physical Therapy, 28, pp: 979-982
