Slant Board for Patellar Tendinitis
Friday, February 14th, 2025: Arts, Design.
Purpose and Design
Throughout the past year, as I kept researching my apparent knee condition online, I found the same advice over and over: do eccentric squats on a slant board. In an eccentric squat, you first squat slowly with most of your weight on the injured knee, then shift weight to the opposite knee to rise slowly back to a standing position.
The slant board used in physical therapy facilities is typically super-simple, as in the illustration below. But an online search reveals dozens of mainly adjustable options, with quality products starting at $70.
$70 for something I could easily make in my workshop using scrap lumber? I think not.
Woodworking
I had a length of pine one-by-twelve that would be easier to work with and make a nicer item than plywood. I hadn’t used my table saw in a couple years, so I was stoked. Happily, this wee project ended up using all my basic power tools, and mild weather allowed me to use the concrete slab right outside for sawing and sanding that would generate sawdust. I spent about four hours designing, cutting, and gluing the pieces together.
Sanding and Finishing
Even for a small piece like this, sanding is time consuming. I’d originally figured it would only take a few hours to throw something together that would be usable. But then I realized I’d need some kind of anti-slip covering, which meant the wood would have to be finished, which meant it would have to be sanded. Hence the relatively high prices for commercial products.
Finishing with polyurethane took an additional couple of days due to drying time between coats.
Final Assembly
As the slant board got closer to being used, I realized I needed some specialized items: rubber feet that would prevent it from sliding on my hardwood floor, and some kind of non-slip covering for the slanted surface. The feet were easy to find at Ace, as was this non-slip adhesive-backed tape, which was somewhat tricky to apply neatly.
Use
After only two weeks of use, I can already feel the results in knee strength and pain-free downhill hiking. This little project may well be the key to reversing nine months of damage to my knee!
