Clinical trial NCT02732782: Effectiveness of Isometric vs. Eccentric Exercise in Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy
Official title: Effectiveness of Eccentric Exercise Compared to Isometric Exercise in Athletes With Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: NA
Conditions: Tendinopathy
Keywords: Achilles tendon
isometric muscle training
competitive sports
strength training
eccentric exercise
isometric exercise
chronic condition
regeneration
tendon
tendon properties
tendinopathy
tendinosis
intervention
training load
high performance sports
Lead sponsor: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
Sponsor class: OTHER
Collaborators: name: Charite University, Berlin, Germany
First posted: 2016-04-11
Enrollment: 45
Sex: MALE
Minimum age (years): 20
Maximum age (years): 50
Standard ages: ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: TREATMENT

Brief summary: This is a prospective single blinded randomised controlled trial with a 12-week intervention period and a half-year follow-up period. The main purpose is to determine the effects of isometric exercise on mechanical, morphological and functional tendon properties versus eccentric exercise in chronic Achilles tendinopathy.

Detailed description: This research project was funded by means of the "Bundesinstitut für Sportwissenschaft" based on a resolution of the German Federal Parliament.

Eligibility criteria: Inclusion Criteria:

* Chronic (3 months or more) condition of unilateral Achilles tendinopathy confirmed by a medical doctor based on ultrasound
* age 18-60
* male
* VISA-A Score of at least 80

Exclusion Criteria:

* bilateral tendinopathy
* any systemic or inflammatory diseases (i. e. Diabetes, Arthritis)
* surgery on lower extremities in the past
* corticoid injections in the last 12 months

Primary outcomes:
measure: Morphological tendon properties, Tendon cross sectional area (CSA)
timeFrame: At baseline and 12 weeks after
measure: Mechanical tendon properties, Tendon stiffness
timeFrame: At baseline and 12 weeks after
measure: Mechanical tendon properties, Modulus
timeFrame: At baseline and 12 weeks after
measure: Morphological tendon properties, Tendon length
timeFrame: At baseline and 12 weeks after
measure: Morphological tendon properties, Tendon vascularization level
timeFrame: At baseline and 12 weeks after
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Clinical functional score
timeFrame: At baseline, 12 weeks and six months after
measure: Interleukin 6 level
timeFrame: At baseline and 12 weeks after
measure: Functional tendon properties, Ground contact time
timeFrame: At baseline and 12 weeks after
measure: Functional tendon properties, Maximum jump height
timeFrame: At baseline and 12 weeks after
measure: Pain level via Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)
timeFrame: At baseline, 12 weeks and six months after
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Berlin
country: Germany
facility: Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Institut für Bewegungswissenschaften, Department Movement Sciences
Study officials:
affiliation: Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Department of Movement Sciences
name: Kirsten Legerlotz, PhD, Prof
role: STUDY_DIRECTOR
References:
citation: Legerlotz K, Jones ER, Screen HR, Riley GP. Increased expression of IL-6 family members in tendon pathology. Rheumatology (Oxford). 2012 Jul;51(7):1161-5. doi: 10.1093/rheumatology/kes002. Epub 2012 Feb 15.
citation: Mersmann F, Bohm S, Schroll A, Boeth H, Duda GN, Arampatzis A. Muscle and tendon adaptation in adolescent athletes: A longitudinal study. Scand J Med Sci Sports. 2017 Jan;27(1):75-82. doi: 10.1111/sms.12631. Epub 2015 Dec 8.
citation: Arampatzis A, Karamanidis K, Mademli L, Albracht K. Plasticity of the human tendon to short- and long-term mechanical loading. Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2009 Apr;37(2):66-72. doi: 10.1097/JES.0b013e31819c2e1d.