Achilles Tendon

BackgroundAchilles tendon rupture (ATR) account for 10.7% of all tendon and ligament injuries and causes lasting muscular deficits and have a profound impact on patients' quality of life. The incidence, characteristics and management of ATR in the United Kingdom (UK) is poorly understood. This investigation aims to understand the incidence of ATR in the UK.MethodsProspective data collection of ATR incidence from a United Kingdom Emergency department. Retrospective review of management protocols and immobilisation duration from electronic medical records.ResultsATR incidence is 8 per 100,000 people per annum. Participants were predominately male (79.2%) and primarily reported a sporting mechanism of injury (65.2%). Mean immobilisation duration was 63.1 days. 97.1% were non-surgically managed post ATR. 46.2% of participants had experienced a previous ATR or Achilles tendinopathy prior to their current ATR.ConclusionThe incidence of ATR found was 8. cases per 100,000 people per annum. Most ATR were managed non-surgically in this cohort. The majority of ruptures occurred during sporting activity. Almost one quarter (23.3%) of individuals report Achilles pain prior to ATR.

BackgroundChronic Achilles tendon ruptures (CATR) often require surgical intervention to restore function. Despite numerous treatment modalities available, the optimal management strategy remains controversial given the limited high-quality evidence available. This article aims to provide evidence-based guidelines for the surgical management of CATR through a comprehensive systematic review of the available data. The consensus reached by synthesizing the findings will assist clinicians in making informed decisions and improving patient outcomes.MethodsA group of 9 foot surgeons in three continents was consulted to gather their expertise on guidelines regarding the surgical management of CATR. Following the proposal of 9 clinical topics, a thorough and comprehensive search of relevant literature published since 1980 was conducted for each topic using electronic databases, including PubMed, MEDLINE, and Cochrane Library, to identify relevant studies published until 1 October 2023. All authors collaborated in drafting, discussing, and finalizing the recommendations and statements. The recommendations were then categorized into two grades: grade a (strong) and grade b (weak), following the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation) concept. Additionally, feedback from 21 external specialists, who were independent from the authors, was taken into account to further refine and finalize the clinical guidelines.ResultsNine statements and guidelines were completed regarding surgical indications, surgical strategies, and postoperative rehabilitation protocol.ConclusionBased on the findings of the systematic review, this guideline provides recommendations for the surgical management of CATR. We are confident that this guideline will serve as a valuable resource for physicians when making decisions regarding the surgical treatment of patients with CATR.

BackgroundTendinopathy is a growing global concern affecting many people, like athletes, workers, and the elderly. Despite its commonality among the sporting population, there is no practical clinical guideline for patellar tendinopathy (PT). Furthermore, there is conflicting evidence between clinical guidelines on shockwave therapy's application and clinical utility for Achilles tendinopathy (AT) and plantar fasciitis (PF). Thus, our aim of this study is to evaluate the evidence for shockwave therapy; to provide a Grading of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) level of the evidence and effectiveness of shockwave therapy for patellar tendinopathy, Achilles tendinopathy, and Plantar fasciitis.MethodMedical Literature Analysis and Retrieval System Online (Medline), Embase, The Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure database (CNKI) were searched to find relevant studies published before December 14th, 2022.ResultsOur study showed that for PT in the short term, extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) or ESWT + eccentric exercise (EE) has a negligible effect on pain and function compared to a placebo or placebo + EE. On the contrary, ESWT significantly affects pain compared to conservative treatment (CT). For AT, ESWT has a small inconclusive effect on pain and function in the short term compared to EE. On the other hand, a placebo outperformed ESWT in improving function for AT but not pain outcomes. PF showed that ESWT significantly affects short- and long-term pain and function. When ESWT was compared to other interventions such as low laser therapy (LLLT), corticosteroid injection (CSI), or CT, there was a small inconclusive effect on pain and function in the short term.ConclusionThere is low-moderate evidence that ESWT has a negligible effect on pain and function for PT and AT. However, high-quality evidence suggests ESWT has a large effect on pain and function for PF.Systematic review registrationhttps://www.crd.york.ac.uk/prospero/display_record.php?ID=CRD42023396835, identifier CRD42023396835.

ObjectiveThis study aimed to evaluate whether lower limb biomechanics in runners and non-runners are risk factors for the onset of Achilles tendinopathy, and to assess the contributions of age, sex, running distance and injury history to the onset of Achilles tendinopathy.MethodsThis prospective cohort study used quota sampling stratified by age, sex, region and physical activity status (runner, non-runner). Baseline assessments included questionnaires on running history and Achilles tendinopathy symptoms, running biomechanics, MRI and dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Participants were followed for 1 year using a Fitbit device and a custom mobile application for weekly injury reporting and orthopaedic diagnoses. Binary logistic regression identified risk factors (OR, 95% CI). Primary biomechanical variables included ankle, knee and hip kinematics and kinetics during the stance phase of running. The main outcome was a medically confirmed diagnosis of Achilles tendinopathy within 1 year.ResultsOur study included 911 adults (mean age 37.7±12.5 years; 429 (47%) females; 528 (58%) runners) followed for 1 year. A higher peak ankle inversion moment (OR 0.33, 95% CI 0.17 to 0.61) during the stance phase decreased the odds of developing Achilles tendinopathy, while a lower peak ankle external rotation angle (OR 2.20, 95% CI 1.23 to 4.03) and greater running distance (OR 1.67, 95% CI 1.23 to 2.22) increased the odds of onset. The findings were consistent across the full cohort and runners.ConclusionWe identified a lower peak ankle inversion moment, a lower peak ankle external rotation angle and a greater running volume as significant predictors of the onset of Achilles tendinopathy. Targeting biomechanical factors and running volume may help prevent Achilles tendinopathy.