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Non-uniform displacement within the Achilles tendon during passive ankle joint motion

  • Ankle
  • Published:
Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy Aims and scope

Abstract

Purpose

An initial step in the understanding of Achilles tendon dynamics is to investigate the effects of passive motion, thereby minimising muscle activation and reducing internal joint forces. Internal tendon dynamics during passive ankle joint motion have direct implications for clinical rehabilitation protocols after Achilles tendon surgery. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that tendon tissue displacement is different in different layers of the Achilles tendon during controlled passive ankle joint movements.

Methods

Ultrasound imaging was conducted on the right Achilles tendon of nine healthy recreationally active males. Standardised isokinetic passive dorsi-plantar-flexion movements were performed with a total range of motion of 35°. The tendon was divided into superficial, central and deep layers in the resulting B-mode ultrasound images viewed in the sagittal plane. A block-matching speckle tracking algorithm was applied post-process, with kernels for the measurement of displacement placed in each of the layers.

Results

The mean (SD) displacement of the Achilles tendon during passive dorsiflexion was 8.4 (1.9) mm in the superficial layer, 9.4 (1.9) mm in the central portion and 10.4 (2.1) mm in the deep layer, respectively. In all cases, the movement of the deep layer of the tendon was greater than that of the superficial one (P < 0.01).

Conclusions

These results, achieved in vivo with ultrasonographic speckle tracking, indicated complex dynamic differences in different layers of the Achilles tendon, which could have implications for the understanding of healing processes of tendon pathologies and also of normal tendon function.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support was provided through the regional agreement on medical training and clinical research (ALF) between Stockholm County Council and the Karolinska Institute and from the Swedish Centre for Sports Research (CIF). Neither of the funding sources had any influence on the design, execution, analysis or reporting of the study.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Clintec, Karolinska Institute, Karolinska University Hospital, K54, 141 86, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anton Arndt, Ann-Sophie Bengtsson, Michael Peolsson & Tomas Movin

  2. The Swedish School of Sport and Health Sciences, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anton Arndt & Alf Thorstensson

Authors
  1. Anton Arndt
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  2. Ann-Sophie Bengtsson
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  3. Michael Peolsson
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  4. Alf Thorstensson
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  5. Tomas Movin
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Correspondence to Anton Arndt.

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Arndt, A., Bengtsson, AS., Peolsson, M. et al. Non-uniform displacement within the Achilles tendon during passive ankle joint motion. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 20, 1868–1874 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-011-1801-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-011-1801-9

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