Patellar tendinitis: the significance of magnetic resonance imaging findings.

We evaluated the significance of magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients with patellar tendinitis. Midline sagittal magnetic resonance images were taken of 12 knees from 10 patients and of 17 knees from 15 age- and activity-matched subjects who underwent imaging for reasons other than patellar tendinitis. Of the 12 magnetic resonance imaging scans of knees with clinical patellar tendinitis, 3 (25%) exhibited no defect and only 7 (58%) had unequivocal intratendinous lesions. Among the 17 scans of subjects without clinical patellar tendinitis, 5 (34%) showed no defect and 4 (24%) had unequivocal intratendinous lesions. Proximal tendon width was significantly larger for the tendinitis patient group (5.0 +/- 1.7 mm versus 3.9 +/- 1.0 mm), although considerable overlap was present. All subjects with unequivocal intratendinous signal changes had a significantly longer nonarticular inferior patellar pole and were significantly older (38.1 years versus 26.8 years). Only Blazina stage III lesions were associated with abnormal findings on magnetic resonance imaging. As a whole, the sensitivity and specificity of magnetic resonance imaging was 75% and 29%, respectively. In younger patients with relatively mild symptoms, magnetic resonance imaging did not show significant changes; in older, active patients changes may be present in asymptomatic knees.