Aim: to show the effect of Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPI®) combined with eccentric programme in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy.
Methods: prospective study of 33 athlete-patients consecutively treated for insertional tendinopathy with Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPI®) and followed for 2 years. Functional assessment was performed at the first visit, at three months and two years with the Tegner scale and VISA-P.
Results: an average improvement in the VISA-P of 35 points was obtained. The mean duration of treatment was 4.5 weeks. Some 78.8% of the patients returned to the same level of physical activity as before the injury by the end of treatment, reaching 100% at two years.
Conclusions: intratissue percutaneous electrolysis (EPI®) combined with an eccentric-based rehab program offers excellent results in terms of the clinical and functional improvement of the patellar tendon with low morbidity in a short-term period.
Level of evidence: Therapy, level 4.
Keywords: EPI; eccentric; intratissue percutaneous electrolysis; patellar; tendinopathy; tenopathy.