Jumper’s Knee in Basketball: Why Your Glutes and Ankles May Be Part of the Solution

Basketball players with patellar tendinopathy, commonly called jumper’s knee, often focus entirely on the painful area below the kneecap. However, jumping, landing, sprinting, and changing direction require the entire lower extremity to work together.

Current research suggests an important distinction: the patellar tendon still needs progressive loading to improve, but a complete rehabilitation program may also assess the hip, glutes, calf, and ankle for individual strength or movement deficits.

The Knee Is Still the Main Target

Systematic reviews consistently support exercise-based, progressive tendon loading as the foundation of patellar tendinopathy rehabilitation. Heavy slow resistance, eccentric exercise, and other progressive loading approaches can improve symptoms and function. A recent 2026 network meta-analysis found no exercise approach clearly superior to heavy slow resistance, suggesting that several well-designed progressive loading strategies can be effective.

For basketball players, this may include progressive strengthening before advancing toward higher-demand activities such as jumping, landing, sprinting, and repeated basketball-specific movements.

Why Assess the Glutes?

The gluteal muscles help control and generate movement at the hip during squatting, landing, cutting, and jumping. Research has identified hip-strength differences in some people with patellar tendinopathy, although the evidence is not strong enough to conclude that weak glutes cause jumper’s knee.

This means glute training should not replace tendon loading. Instead, hip strength and movement control may be addressed when an individual assessment identifies a meaningful deficit.

What About the Ankle and Calf?

Your calf and ankle help absorb and produce force every time you jump and land. However, current evidence linking ankle weakness directly to patellar tendinopathy is limited.

For that reason, it is more accurate to evaluate ankle mobility, calf strength, and jumping performance individually rather than assuming every basketball player with jumper’s knee has an ankle problem.

A Complete Basketball Rehabilitation Approach

An evidence-informed assessment may examine:

Quadriceps and knee-extensor strength

Hip and gluteal strength

Calf and plantar-flexor capacity

Ankle mobility

Landing mechanics

Single-leg and double-leg jumping

Strength and power asymmetries

The athlete's tolerance to basketball training volume

The key message is simple: jumper’s knee should not be treated with glute exercises alone, ankle exercises alone, or passive treatments alone. Progressive patellar tendon loading remains the foundation, while the rest of the kinetic chain can be addressed when individual deficits may limit performance or recovery. Earlier systematic reviews similarly support progressive eccentric or slow-resistance exercise as first-line management.

For basketball players, the ultimate goal is not just less knee pain—it is restoring the strength, power, and load tolerance needed to jump, land, cut, and play with confidence.

Dealing with jumper’s knee or struggling to get back to full-power jumping? Schedule an evaluation with Pure Motion Physical Therapy and Wellness in Arlington, TX to identify the factors affecting your performance and build a progressive plan to help you return to basketball stronger and more confident.