Estimation of patellar tendon stress in persons with and without patellar tendinopathy using a subject specific finite element model: a feasibility study

Three-dimensional (3D) finite element (FE) models using subject-specific kinematics during a single-leg landing task were created for a person with patellar tendinopathy (PT) and a healthy control. Maximum principal stress (MPS) in the patellar tendon was the primary dependent variable of interest. Peak MPS in patellar tendon was 25.6% greater in the person with PT compared to the healthy control. This result suggests that subject-specific FE modeling may be capable of differentiating those with PT from those without symptoms.