{"id":92315,"date":"2023-01-12T15:09:21","date_gmt":"2023-01-12T14:09:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/42krunning.com\/pes-anserine-tendinitis-a-feared-running-injury\/"},"modified":"2023-01-12T15:09:21","modified_gmt":"2023-01-12T14:09:21","slug":"pes-anserine-tendinitis-a-feared-running-injury","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/42krunning.com\/en\/pes-anserine-tendinitis-a-feared-running-injury\/","title":{"rendered":"Pes anserine tendinitis, a feared running injury"},"content":{"rendered":"

Pes anserine tendinitis<\/strong>, also known in medicine as anserine tendinitis,<\/strong> is the inflammation of the pes anserinus tendon<\/strong> located on the inner side of the knee. The pes anserinus tendon is formed by the confluence of three muscles called the sartorius<\/a>, gracilis<\/a>, and semitendinosus<\/a>; these three muscles attach to the lower inner part of the knee. <\/p>\n

Pes anserine tendinitis causes pain<\/strong> of varying intensity<\/strong> on the inner side of the knee<\/strong>, and it gets worse when going up and down stairs or squatting. Experts point out that different factors may be behind this condition: anatomical and functional, biomechanical, metabolic, and immune… They also cite obesity and age as causes of pes anserine tendinitis, but it\u2019s also a problem with a considerable incidence in long-distance runners<\/strong>. <\/p>\n

Runners who go through the ordeal of pes anserine tendinitis often don\u2019t know what\u2019s causing their problem. In reality, there are different reasons that can be the cause in people who run: micro- or macro-trauma<\/strong>, ongoing intense effort<\/strong>, overtraining<\/strong>, and sometimes even unknown causes<\/strong>, with no clear reason. <\/p>\n

Symptoms of pes anserine tendinitis<\/h2>\n

For the affected person, it all starts with a sensation of knee pain<\/strong>, mainly on the inner side of the leg and below the knee<\/strong>, similar to joint pain. The discomfort is more noticeable when getting up, eases throughout the day, and increases again at night. <\/p>\n

If the pain is not treated quickly and properly, it can intensify and even spread to the rest of the knee. In more complex cases (because it wasn\u2019t treated in time and properly), it becomes a chronic knee problem that ends up affecting the rest of the leg and ankle, often leading to pes anserine tendinitis being associated with an ankle sprain, especially if there is an overweight issue. <\/p>\n

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A person with pes anserine tendinitis, in addition to pain<\/strong>, may have difficulty walking and instability<\/strong>. Sometimes, the affected person may also run into the added problem of injuring the other knee due to overload, as a result of forcing weight-bearing on the leg that doesn\u2019t hurt. <\/p>\n

Pes anserine tendinitis is a condition that can be confusing<\/strong> because, as it affects soft tissue (meaning it doesn\u2019t primarily affect the bone or the joint), it doesn\u2019t show up on standard knee X-rays<\/strong>. It\u2019s not uncommon for patients to be told that nothing can be seen on the X-rays and, therefore, for the discomfort to be downplayed. <\/p>\n

Or it can be even worse: some osteoarthritis is found and the patient is told the problem is knee osteoarthritis, and then told there is no possible treatment (which is not true). It\u2019s true that both problems can coincide and coexist (pes anserine tendinitis and knee osteoarthritis), in which case both need to be treated\u2014and today this is done very successfully.<\/p>\n

\"Pes<\/a><\/p>\n

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What can cause pes anserine tendinitis in runners?<\/h3>\n

People who run and may be more predisposed to pes anserine tendinitis are those who have had micro- or macro-trauma at the insertion area of the pes anserinus tendon<\/strong>. It\u2019s also possible that the cause is related to poor foot strike when running<\/strong>, generally in people with overpronation. Another cited cause is the use of running shoes with little cushioning<\/strong> or shoes that are unsuitable for running because they aren\u2019t running shoes or are in poor condition. <\/p>\n

Other causes highlighted by experts include:<\/p>\n