Blood Flow Restriction Therapy in Achilles Injury

NYU Langone Health

Status: Enrolling

Conditions: Achilles Injuries Tendon

Treatments: Other: Blood flow restriction; Other: Standard of Care Physical Therapy

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT04104126

s19-01244

Details and patient eligibility

About

Blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy is a brief and partial restriction of venous outflow of an extremity during low load resistance exercises. It is a safe and effective method of improving strength in healthy and active individuals, recovering from orthopedic pathologies and procedures. This prospective, randomized study will look at the implications this form of treatment has on the rehabilitation of Achilles injuries.

Enrollment: 57 estimated patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18 to 65 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Diagnosed with Achilles Injury
• Must be at least 18 years of age and younger than 65 years of age
• Intention to receive physical therapy as standard of care

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with intention to receive standard therapy and not the study therapy
• Patients with impaired circulation, peripheral vascular compromise, previous revascularization of the extremity, or severe hypertension
• Younger than 18 years of age or older than 65
• Legally incompetent or mentally impaired (e.g. minors, Alzheimer's subjects, dementia, etc.)
• Any patient considered a vulnerable subject

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Triple Blind

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57 participants in 2 patient groups

Standard of Care Physical Therapy

Active Comparator group

Description:

Patients with Achilles injury are prescribed PT for their treatment, therefore physical therapy is a standard of care treatment for patients with tendon pathology.

Treatment:

Other: Standard of Care Physical Therapy

Blood flow restriction (BFR) therapy

Experimental group

Description:

Blood flow restriction therapy is a blood pressure cuff placed around the desired limb with a handheld device that controls the pressure exerted by the cuff.

Treatment:

Other: Blood flow restriction