NCT04121377

Feasibility of an Early Progressive Strength Exercise Programme for Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture

• Status: Completed
• Phase: N/A
• Study type: Interventional
• Enrollment: 16 (actual)
• Sponsor: Aalborg University Hospital · Academic / Other
• Sex: All
• Age: 18 Years – 65 Years
• Healthy volunteers: Not accepted

Summary

The aim of this study is to investigate the feasibility of an early progressive exercise program for patients with Achilles tendon rupture treated non-surgically. The outcomes will concern the patient's acceptability of the intervention, adherence to the intervention and safety of the healing tendon.

Detailed description

Regardless of choice of either surgical or non-surgical treatment, long-term muscular deficits and a decreased function after Achilles tendon rupture is found up to 10 years later. The majority of the patients are of working age and a deficit in physical performance will have impact on returning to work and sports. There has been promising results in treatments using early functional rehabilitation during the first eight weeks of treatment after both surgical and non-surgical treatment, but few studies has examined the effect of the exercises on its own. In general, descriptions of the exercise programs are lacking important information such as type, time of application, frequency, intensity and progression of the exercises. The primary aim is to test the feasibility of an early progressive exercise program for patients with Achilles tendon rupture treated non-surgically. Feasibility in this study will be defined as successful patient acceptability and compliance of the exercise intervention.

Conditions

• Achilles Tendon Rupture

Interventions

Type	Name	Description
OTHER	Resistance training	Weekly sessions introducing resistance exercises and monitoring the patients acceptability. The exercises are isometric contractions, seated heel-rise and elastic band. The patient register the amount of exercise in a home exercise journal. To protect the tendon while doing range of motion of the foot, dorsiflexion is restricted beyond neutral (0 degrees of dorsiflexion). The load on the strength exercises will progress from isometric contraction without external load to strengthening exercises with 10-20 RM (RM: Repetition Maximum). Each strength exercise can progress with added weight or stronger elastic band. The Borg scale is used to guide the patient to progress or regress the load in each exercise. The recommended level being "easy" to "hard" (2-5/10). It is emphasised that the exercises must not cause sudden or severe pain in the tendon, but muscle soreness is to be expected.

Timeline

• Start date: 2019-10-11
• Primary completion: 2020-04-30
• Completion: 2020-04-30
• First posted: 2019-10-09
• Last updated: 2020-10-14

Locations

1 site across 1 country: Denmark