Health Zone

Clive Eksteen is a name synonymous to all South African cricket supporters. Not only is he the backbone of Highveld Strikers bowling attack, knowing that he can bamboozle most batsmen with his spin bowling, but he has also been playing first class cricket for 16 years and has represented South Africa on numerous occasions. Currently he is rehabilitating an injury that will keep him off the field for 6 months.

Clive has been fortunate that he has had one other injury that has kept him out of cricket, and that was a lower back injury. This is a common injury with bowlers and Clive had no hassles in recovering and he was soon on the field sending the batsmen to the pavilion. Having an injury-free cricket career was too good to be true, and Clive found himself in surgery for acute patellar tendinitis in March 2001.

Patellar tendinitis is a condition characterized by:
Ø Inflammation of the patellar tendon, which connects the kneecap to the shin bone (tibia)
Ø Pain and tenderness around the patellar tendon
Ø Pain with bending or straightening the leg
Ø Tenderness behind the kneecap

Clive's injury is classified as an overuse injury. Overuse injuries occur from a too rapid an increase in the amount of running undertaken as part of the general training and the number of deliveries bowled in both practices and matches.

Treatment for patellar tendinitis is the same as for most overuse syndromes: rest, heat and a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory. Unfortunately, the patellar tendon has a very poor blood supply, and a chronic condition can evolve, which may require surgery. This was the case in Clive's situation and surgery in this instance involved removing the degenerated and inflamed portion of the tendon and, reattaching the tendon to the kneecap.

At times, cortisone shots are helpful; however, because the tendon may already be deteriorated and cortisone itself weakens tissue, it is possible to weaken the tendon significantly enough to rupture it. If a rupture does occur, surgery is mandatory if the athlete is to regain full function.

Ronald's Rehab Tips

* Avoid any activities that cause pain over the tendon, as they would inevitably aggravate the damage already done.

* Stretch the tendon. Passively stretching the quadriceps muscle group, within the limits of pain, gradually restores flexibility, and prevents it from tightening up. Repeat the stretching at least ten times three times a day.

* Maintain the quadriceps muscles. To avoid secondary knee problems, and weakening in the joint stability, do static quadriceps contractions throughout the day. Do not do the exercises too many times at once, as you risk further strain to the patellar tendon.

* Don't rush the rehab. The biggest mistake made by most athletes is that they want to get back on the field as quickly as possible, without full rehabilitation. This could aggravate the injury more and lead to permanent damage.

Clive is expected to be back on the field in August. Currently his days are filled with extensive rehabilitation and he knows that to get back to peak form he is going to have to work even harder than he did before his injury.