The Effectiveness of the Pilates Method in the Rehabilitation of an Athlete
with Patellar Tendinopathy: Case Study
Chrysostomos Sandramanis1* and Dimitrios Stasinopoulos2
1Physiotherapist, Licensed Practitioner, Graduate of the Department of Physiotherapy, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece
2Associate Professor, Physiotherapy, Department of Physiotherapy, Faculty of Health and Caring Sciences, University of West Attica, Greece
*Corresponding Author: Chrysostomos Sandramanis, Physiotherapist, Licensed Practitioner, Graduate of the Department of Physiotherapy, University of West Attica, Athens, Greece.
Received:
August 01, 2025; Published: August 25, 2025
Abstract
The aim of this case study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a supervised exercise program using the Pilates Reformer method in a basketball athlete with patellar tendinopathy. The athlete had been experiencing pain for two months prior to the intervention. The program was implemented three times per week over a period of six weeks. Functional evaluation was conducted using the VISA-P questionnaire, before and after the intervention. The results showed a significant improvement in both pain intensity and functional capacity, suggesting that exercise based on the Pilates method may serve as an effective intervention for managing patellar tendinopathy in athletic populations.
Keywords: Pilates Method; Rehabilitation; Patellar Tendinopathy
References
- Stasinopoulos D., et al. “Comparing the effects of eccentric training with eccentric training and static stretching exercises in the treatment of patellar tendinopathy: A controlled clinical trial”. Clinical Rehabilitation 5 (2012): 423-430.
- Malliaras P., et al. “Patellar tendinopathy: clinical diagnosis, load management, and advice for challenging case presentations”. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 45.11 (2015): 887-898.
- Peers KE and Lysens RJ. “Patellar Tendinopathy in Athletes: Current Diagnostic and Therapeutic Recommendations”. Sports Medicine 35.1 (2005): 71-87.
- Hägglund M., et al. “Epidemiology of patellar tendinopathy in elite male soccer players”. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 39.9 (2011): 1906-1911.
- Cook JL., et al. “Victorian Institute of Sport Tendon Study Group, 1997. A cross sectional study of 100 athletes with jumper's knee managed conservatively and surgically”. British Journal of Sports Medicine 31.4 (1997): 332-336.
- Kettunen JA., et al. “Long-term Prognosis for Jumper's Knee in Male Athletes”. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 30.5 (2002): 689-692.
- van der Worp H., et al. “Risk Factors for Patellar Tendinopathy: A Systematic Review”. British Journal of Sports Medicine 45.5 (2011): 446-452.
- Brukner P and Khan K. “Clinical Sports Medicine. 4th edition. McGraw-Hill” (2017).
- Gaida JE., et al. “A Pilot Study on Metabolic Markers and Tendinopathy”. The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 12.5 (2009): 95-98.
- Khan KM., et al. “Time to abandon the "tendinitis" myth”. BMJ 324.7338 (2002): 626-627.
- Cook JL and Purdam CR. “Is tendon pathology a continuum?” British Journal of Sports Medicine 43.6 (2009): 409-416.
- Malliaras P., et al. “Achilles and Patellar Tendinopathy Loading Programmes: A Systematic Review”. Sports Medicine 43.4 (2013): 267-286.
- Kongsgaard M., et al. “Corticosteroid injections, eccentric decline squat training and heavy slow resistance training in patellar tendinopathy”. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports 20.1 (2010): 121-127.
- Frohm A., et al. “Eccentric Treatment for Patellar Tendinopathy: A Pilot Study”. British Journal of Sports Medicine 41.7 (2007): e7.
- Rio E., et al. “Isometric exercise induces analgesia and reduces inhibition in patellar tendinopathy”. British Journal of Sports Medicine 49.19 (2015): 1277-1283.
- Rio E., et al. “Elevated corticospinal excitability in patellar tendinopathy”. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports 26.9 (2016): 1072-1079.
- Sivrika AP., et al. “Pilates Dosage in Rehabilitation of Musculoskeletal Conditions: A Scoping Review”. Sports Health (2024).
- Korakakis V., et al. “Cross-cultural Adaptation of the VISA-P for Greek-Speaking Patients”. British Journal of Sports Medicine 22 (2014): 1647-1652.
- Visentini PJ., et al. “The VISA Score: An Index of Severity for Jumper's Knee”. The Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport 1 (1998): 22-28.
- Curwin S and Stanish WD. “Tendinitis: its etiology and treatment”. Lexington, MA: Collamore Press (1984).
- Purdam CR., et al. “A pilot study of the eccentric decline squat in the management of painful chronic patellar tendinopathy”. British Journal of Sports Medicine 38.4 (2004): 395-397.
- Reinking MF. “Current Concepts in the Treatment of Patellar Tendinopathy”. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy 11.6 (2016): 854-866.
- Burton I and McCormack A. “Resistance Training Interventions for Lower Limb Tendinopathies: A Scoping Review”. Translational Sports Medicine (2022): 2561142.
- Silbernagel KG., et al. “Continued Sports Activity Using a Pain-Monitoring Model During Achilles Tendinopathy Rehabilitation”. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 35.6 (2007): 897-906.
- Kountouris A and Cook J. “Rehabilitation of Achilles and Patellar Tendinopathies”. Best Practice and Research: Clinical Rheumatology 21.2 (2007): 295-316.
- Stasinopoulos D. “The effectiveness of isometric contractions combined with eccentric-concentric training and simple lumbo-pelvic control exercises on pain and disability in chronic patellar tendinopathy: a case report”. Physical Therapy in Sport 28 (2017): 23-26.
- Scattone Silva R., et al. “Rehabilitation of Patellar Tendinopathy Using Hip Extensor Strengthening and Landing Strategy Modification in Patellar Tendinopathy: Case Report”. Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy 11 (2015): 899-909.
Citation
Copyright
Open Access by
Acta Scientific is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License
