Jacked Athlete Podcast Bilateral Patellar Tendon Rupture Story with Jack Davey
Feb 24, 2026
Jack Davey, strength coach and strongman who documented his bilateral patellar tendon rupture and rebuild. He recounts the injury moment during a heavy log press and the surgical repairs. He describes staged rehab choices, regaining quad size and function, reintroducing squats and plyometrics, and the adjustments needed to return to training and competing.
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How Both Patellar Tendons Snapped During A Log Press
- Jack described the exact moment both patellar tendons ruptured during a 150 kg log push press after weeks of heavy training and fatigue.
- He screamed, legs went into spasm, dragged himself to grab his phone and waited 90 minutes for an ambulance before hospital imaging confirmed bilateral ruptures.
Muscle Strength Without Tendon Task Adaptation Is Risky
- Jack had ramped push press back after a long break while simultaneously accumulating high squat and leg strength, creating a mismatch between muscle force and tendon-specific capacity.
- He believes the tendon wasn't adapted to the specific high-force push press task despite strong muscles and technique, precipitating rupture.
Hope For Quad Rupture But Got Bilateral Patella Tears Instead
- Immediately after the fall Jack feared a quad rupture and prayed not patella because patella recovery is longer; both patella tendons ended up ruptured.
- In hospital ultrasound quickly showed intact quads but absent patellar continuity, then MRI confirmed bilateral complete ruptures within 36 hours.