For two years I suffered greatly with patellar tendinitis. Physical therapy helped a little but I gradually got worse and worse. This past summer I had surgery to clean out the inflammation and get healing back on the right track. It's been six weeks and I'm still having a lot of pain and discomfort around the tendon. Will this ever go away?

It's normal to have some discomfort in the area of the tendon repair site. It will gradually go away over the next few months. In some patients, it takes up to six months to completely ease.

Your surgeon has probably told you what activities to avoid during the healing period. It's important to follow these directions carefully. Patellar tendon rupture is a serious complication of this surgery. It's most likely to occur during the early healing phase.

Most often the healing tendon is protected with a splint after surgery and a gradual return to activity, exercise, and sports. A full six months of strengthening and training is required before returning to sports.

When in doubt, it's always best to ask. Check with your orthopedic surgeon and see if your symptoms are within normal limits. The type and extent of surgery and postoperative management are all factors in how you feel.