A Comparison of Endoscopic Surgery and Exercise Therapy in Patients With Longstanding Achilles Tendinopathy

Norwegian University of Science and Technology

Status: Terminated

Conditions: Tendinopathy

Treatments: Behavioral: physiotherapy and exercise; Procedure: endoscopic surgery

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03025412

2016/1931

Details and patient eligibility

About

Exercise is a preferred treatment modality for mid-portion achilles tendinopathy. Despite this, as many as 44 % of achilles tendinopathy patients do not respond to exercise treatment.

Surgery for midportion achilles tendinopathy has for many years been done as an open procedure. New knowledge resulted in a variety of minimally invasive procedures and the development of endoscopic surgery.

In this study, the effect of non-open surgery and conservative treatment (physiotherapy and exercises) will be compared.

Enrollment: 10 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• diagnosis of mid-portion achilles tendinopathy
• pain during at least 3 months
• decreased function (a score less than 80 on VISA-A)

Exclusion criteria

• Physiotherapy during previous three months
• history of major achilles trauma
• cardiovascular, respiratory, systemic, or metabolic conditions limiting exercise tolerance

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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10 participants in 2 patient groups

Endoscopic surgery

Experimental group

Description:

Ambulatory surgery. Postoperative rehabilitation. From week 6 postoperative the patients start the same exercise regimen as the conservative treatment group.

Treatment:

Behavioral: physiotherapy and exercise

Procedure: endoscopic surgery

Conservative treatment

Active Comparator group

Description:

Physiotherapy and exercise. First physiotherapy consultation: Information, advice, instructions. Exercise regime during 12 weeks in three phases.

Treatment:

Behavioral: physiotherapy and exercise