R Ashwin's retirement: What is the 'Jumper's Knee' condition that affected him?

Ravichandran Ashwin surprised everyone by announcing his decision to retire from international cricket during the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy series. As per reports, he was thinking about it much earlier but informed his family only on Tuesday night. While the uncertainty of his future in the Indian Test team is quoted as one of the probable reasons for his decision, the physical fitness and mental health struggles could also be reasons for the call. 

The knee injury
A few years ago, Ashwin revealed that in the 2017-2019 period, he had mental health struggles and felt like he was in a 'dark space.' That was also the time when he was affected by a knee injury called patellar tendonitis. The Cleveland Clinic refers to it as 'Jumper's Knee,' a condition caused by repeated movements like jumping, which gradually weaken the patellar tendon on the knee. The condition causes persistent pain and makes even simple movements like walking difficult. It made bowling quite challenging for Ashwin. 

Mornings were quite painful for Ashwin, as he needed long periods to warm up his knees. However, he was temporarily pain-free after he received treatment in Bengaluru. However, in early 2024, during the home Test series against England, his knees started acting up again. 

The common symptoms of this condition include pain in the front portion of the knee, tenderness right below the kneecap and stiffness when you try to bend or straighten the area. This is a condition that often affects those assigned males at birth, are around the age of 40, athletes and those doing physically demanding jobs. As per Google Trends, Ashwin has over 200-plus search volume in the past 22 hours.