The value of visa-score and colour flow imaging in the follow-up of non-athletes operated for jumpers knee

Abstract

The objective of this study was to assess if the Victorian Insti-tute of Sport Assessment (VISA) questionnaire was suitable in the evaluation of patients from a mixed population with normal levels of sports activity, and if neovascularization of the patellar tendon demonstrated by color flow imaging (CFI) was more frequent in patients with lasting symptoms after surgical treat-ment for jumpers knee (JK). This study was conducted at St. Olavs Hospital, University Hospital of Trondheim, Norway, and included 21 men and 18 women who were operated for JK. Symptoms were assessed using the Knee Injury and Osteoarthri-tis Outcome Score (KOOS) and VISA questionnaires. Clinical and ultrasonographic examinations of the knees, including CFI, were done at a mean follow-up duration of 82 (range, 16–136) months after surgery. Patients with positive CFI also had signif-icantly lower KOOS scores, whereas the total VISA-P (Victori-an Institute of Sport Assessment - Patella) score showed no association. Patients with a positive clinical examination had significantly more frequent positive CFI findings than did pa-tients with negative examinations. The operated patellar tendon was significantly thicker and had more frequent hypoechoic signal in the proximal part than the contralateral unoperated tendon.The post-operative VISA-P score seems less valuable in the evaluation of patients from a mixed population with normal levels of sports activity. CFI may be a valuable diagnostic tool in the evaluation of patients operated for JK