SUMMARY Background. The Achilles tendon is the most injured tendon in humans. There is a close relationship between changes in the structural composition of the extracellular matrix and tendon tissue related to age and menopause because estrogen deficiency can lead to decreased collagen synthesis and a consequent decrease in the strength and elasticity of tendons, … Continued
SUMMARY Objective. There is a greater risk of tendon rupture requiring hospitalization in people with diabetes. Diabetes could induce substantial alteration in Achilles tendon (AT) that could affect its mechanical properties mainly in relation to gait and foot ulceration. Many studies reported AT morphological changes using diagnostic methods in clinical settings. However, there is no quantitative synthesis of the published … Continued
SUMMARY Background. Increased plantar pressure when walking is among the pathogenesis of diabetic foot ulceration. Contractured Achilles tendon will biomechanically results in increased plantar pressure. In this study, we summarize the correlation between increased transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) expression and the development of Achilles tendon contracture in diabetic foot patients. Methods. Thirty diabetic foot patients with indication for … Continued
SUMMARY Objective. Calf strain occurs frequently in tennis players and has been termed “tennis leg”. To date, there is a lack of information showing how injury history, age, gender, or level of play, may predispose tennis players to injury (1, 2). The purpose of this study was to investigate the elastographic properties of the gastrocnemius-soleus complex in a group … Continued
SUMMARY Background. Woman and men practice medicine differently. One recent study showed that patients operated on by female surgeons exhibited better outcome. We hypothesized that the sex of the surgeon would not affect patient outcome, adverse events and the biological processes of healing after surgical repair of Achilles tendon rupture (ATR). Methods. A total of … Continued
SUMMARY Background. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of using US imaging for measuring Achilles tendon insertion area to the calcaneus. Methods. Sixteen cadaveric tendons were used to compare the agreement between Achilles tendon insertion length measurements from US images with actual measurements after dissection. In addition, test-retest reliability … Continued
Background. Achilles and patellar tendinopathies are common causes of chronic pain and functional impairment. Conservative management can be effective, but it is time-consuming and it requires intensive patient compliance. Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a key component of the extracellular matrix and its anti-inflammatory, lubricant and analgesic properties are well documented in osteoarthritis. Growing pre-clinical studies … Continued
Background. This study investigated whether ESWT applied to healthy Achilles tendons results in a conditioned pain modulation (CPM) effect. Methods. 3000 and 6000-shock dose radial ESWT was performed on dominant side Achilles tendon (random order over 5-9 days) among 20 healthy participants (75% male). Pressure was modulated throughout, producing >4/10 pain (10=worst imaginable). Bilateral pressure-pain … Continued
Background. Anabolic androgenic steroids (AAS) are a group of natural compounds derived from testosterone. It promotes a rapid increase in muscle mass as well as an individual’s strength, thus overloading the locomotor system. Injuries, such as tearing of ligaments and tendons and damaged cartilage, are described among users of these steroids. Methods. To study the … Continued