Rui Hachimura has returned from nearly a month-long absence due to patellar tendinopathy, commonly known as 'jumper's knee.' Although he rejoined the starting lineup and contributed effectively, he admits his knee is only at 70-80% recovery. This reflects the complexities of tendon management, as tendons require careful balancing of activity and rest. To avoid aggravating the condition, ongoing rehab involves understanding the sensitivity of tendons to load, especially during high-impact activities such as jumping and landing, which are common in basketball.
"It's like 70, 80 [percent]," Hachimura said. "My knee's going to be like that for a while, I think. I can't really get back to 100% right away..."
The key thing to understand with Rui's injury - and this really applies to all tendon management - is that tendons are very sensitive to load because of what they're asked to do for the body and how often they're asked to do it.
Due to these unique demands and constant asks, in-season patellar rehab is about constantly balancing activity with rest and treatment. That management exists on a continuum.
On the surface, that obviously sounds disconcerting, but once you understand some of the injury rehabilitation specifics, it will make sense why that is the case.
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