| 1. |
- Alfredson, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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Achilles tendinosis and calf muscle strength : the effect of short-term immobilization after surgical treatment
- 1998
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Ingår i: American Journal of Sports Medicine. - 0363-5465 .- 1552-3365. ; 26:2, s. 166-71
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We prospectively studied calf muscle strength in 7 men and 4 women (mean age, 40.9 +/- 10.1 years) who had surgical treatment for chronic Achilles tendinosis. Surgery was followed by immobilization in a weightbearing below-the-knee plaster cast for 2 weeks followed by a stepwise increasing strength training program. Strength measurements (peak torque and total work) were done preoperatively (Week 0) and at 16, 26, and 52 weeks postoperatively. We measured isokinetic concentric plantar flexion strength at 90 and 225 deg/sec and eccentric flexion strength at 90 deg/sec on both the injured and noninjured sides. Preoperatively, concentric and eccentric strength were significantly lower on the injured side at 90 and 225 deg/sec. Postoperatively, concentric peak torque on the injured side decreased significantly between Weeks 0 and 16 and increased significantly between Weeks 26 and 52 at 90 deg/sec but was significantly lower than that on the noninjured side at all periods and at both velocities. The eccentric strength was significantly lower on the injured side at Week 26 but increased significantly until at Week 52 no significant differences between the sides could be demonstrated. It seems, therefore, that the recovery in concentric and eccentric calf muscle strength after surgery for Achilles tendinosis is slow. We saw no obvious advantages in recovery of muscle strength with a short immobilization time (2 weeks) versus a longer (6 weeks) period used in a previous study.
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| 2. |
- Alfredson, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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Chronic Achilles tendinitis and calf muscle strength
- 1996
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Ingår i: American Journal of Sports Medicine. - : Sage. - 0363-5465 .- 1552-3365. ; 24:6, s. 829-833
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We evaluated 10 men and 3 women (mean age, 44 +/- 8.5 years) with chronic Achilles tendinitis who underwent surgical treatment. Surgery was followed by immobilization in a weightbearing below-the-knee plaster cast for 6 weeks and a stepwise increasing strength training program. We prospectively studied calf muscle strength on the injured and noninjured sides preoperatively and at 16, 26, and 52 weeks postoperatively. Preoperatively, concentric peak torque in dorsiflexion at 90 deg/sec and plantar flexion at 225 deg/sec was significantly lower on the injured side. Postoperatively, concentric plantar flexion peak torque on the injured side increased significantly between Weeks 16 and 26 at 90 deg/sec but was significantly lower than the noninjured side from Weeks 16 to 52 at 90 and 225 deg/sec. Dorsiflexion peak torque at 90 and 225 deg/sec increased between Weeks 0 and 26 and was significantly higher on the injured side at Week 26. Eccentric plantar flexion peak torque was significantly lower on the injured side at Week 26 but not at 1 year. This prospective study demonstrates that 6 months of postoperative rehabilitation for chronic Achilles tendinitis is not enough to recover concentric and eccentric plantar flexion muscle strength compared with the noninjured side.
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| 3. |
- Alfredson, Håkan, et al.
(författare)
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Heavy-load eccentric calf muscle training for the treatment of chronic Achilles tendinosis
- 1998
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Ingår i: American Journal of Sports Medicine. - : Sage. - 0363-5465 .- 1552-3365. ; 26:3, s. 360-366
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- We prospectively studied the effect of heavy-load eccentric calf muscle training in 15 recreational athletes (12 men and 3 women; mean age, 44.3 +/- 7.0 years) who had the diagnosis of chronic Achilles tendinosis (degenerative changes) with a long duration of symptoms despite conventional nonsurgical treatment. Calf muscle strength and the amount of pain during activity (recorded on a visual analog scale) were measured before onset of training and after 12 weeks of eccentric training. At week 0, all patients had Achilles tendon pain not allowing running activity, and there was significantly lower eccentric and concentric calf muscle strength on the injured compared with the noninjured side. After the 12-week training period, all 15 patients were back at their preinjury levels with full running activity. There was a significant decrease in pain during activity, and the calf muscle strength on the injured side had increased significantly and did not differ significantly from that of the noninjured side. A comparison group of 15 recreational athletes with the same diagnosis and a long duration of symptoms had been treated conventionally, i.e., rest, nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs, changes of shoes or orthoses, physical therapy, and in all cases also with ordinary training programs. In no case was the conventional treatment successful, and all patients were ultimately treated surgically. Our treatment model with heavy-load eccentric calf muscle training has a very good short-term effect on athletes in their early forties.
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