A "new" regimen for eccentric loading versus shock wave treatment for chronic insertional Achilles tendinopathy

Eccentric loading versus shock-wave therapy for insertional Achilles tendinopathy: a randomised controlled trial

Status

Active, not recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Interventional

Source

ISRCTN

Registry ID

ISRCTN87901404

Enrollment

150

Registered

2010-06-07

Start date

2008-01-01

Completion date

Unknown

Last updated

2015-01-13

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Insertional Achilles tendinopathy Musculoskeletal Diseases Enthesopathies of lower limb, excluding foot

Interventions

1. Eccentric Loading: All patients were given a practical demonstration and hand written instructions of the exercises by the same physician at the beginning of the study. The eccentric calf muscle tr

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

All

Inclusion criteria

Inclusion criteria: 1. Adult patients with chronic recalcitrant (> 6 months) insertional Achilles tendinopathy 2. All patients had been treated unsuccessfully for at least 3 months, including local injections and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and physiotherapy

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion criteria: 1. Patients presenting with bilateral Achilles tendinopathy 2. Patients presenting with superficial or retrocalcaneal fluid on the ultrasound examination as a sign of bursitis 3. Patients showing a Haglund?s deformity, a prominent postero-superior lateral aspect of the calcaneus, with a Fowler-Philip angle of greater than 75° on plain radiographs. All patients had plain radiographs of the calcaneus to identify tendon calcification.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment ? Achilles (VISA-A) Score: At each visit, every patient completed the VISA-a questionnaire which is validated for Achilles tendon problems. It contains eight questions that cover the three domains of pain (questions 1 - 3), function (questions 4 - 6), and activity (questions 7 and 8). Questions one to seven are scored on a basis of 10 points, and question 8 has a maximum of 30. Scores are summed to give a total. An asymptomatic person would score 100.	—

Measure

Time frame

Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment ? Achilles (VISA-A) Score: At each visit, every patient completed the VISA-a questionnaire which is validated for Achilles tendon problems. It contains eight questions that cover the three domains of pain (questions 1 - 3), function (questions 4 - 6), and activity (questions 7 and 8). Questions one to seven are scored on a basis of 10 points, and question 8 has a maximum of 30. Scores are summed to give a total. An asymptomatic person would score 100.

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Secondary

Measure	Time frame
1. General outcome was scored by the patient on a six-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 6. For the computation of success rates, patients who rated themselves ?1? or ?2? (i.e. completely recovered or much improved) were counted as successes. 2. Pain assessment 2.1. Patients also scored the severity of their main complaint, pain during the day, and inconvenience on an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS; 0=no pain to 10=very severe pain). 2.2. An algometer (Pain Test-Model FPK, Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, CT) was used as a semi-objective measuring device that allows assessment of pressure pain threshold and tenderness using a 1 cm² tip. 2.3. Pain threshold was defined as the minimum pressure captured through its 1cm² tip which induced pain in the most tender area of the Achilles insertion. 2.4. Tenderness was defined as the pain rating on the numeric rating scale induced when a pressure of 3 kg was applied to the most tender area of the Achilles tendon insertion. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, 2, 4 and 15 months.	—

Measure

Time frame

1. General outcome was scored by the patient on a six-point Likert scale ranging from 1 to 6. For the computation of success rates, patients who rated themselves ?1? or ?2? (i.e. completely recovered or much improved) were counted as successes. 2. Pain assessment 2.1. Patients also scored the severity of their main complaint, pain during the day, and inconvenience on an 11-point numerical rating scale (NRS; 0=no pain to 10=very severe pain). 2.2. An algometer (Pain Test-Model FPK, Wagner Instruments, Greenwich, CT) was used as a semi-objective measuring device that allows assessment of pressure pain threshold and tenderness using a 1 cm² tip. 2.3. Pain threshold was defined as the minimum pressure captured through its 1cm² tip which induced pain in the most tender area of the Achilles insertion. 2.4. Tenderness was defined as the pain rating on the numeric rating scale induced when a pressure of 3 kg was applied to the most tender area of the Achilles tendon insertion. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, 2, 4 and 15 months.

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Countries

Germany

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ISRCTN (via WHO ICTRP) · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026