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DOI: 10.1055/s-0030-1267159
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York
Blood Flow of the Achilles Tendon During Military Training
Publikationsverlauf
accepted after revision August 30, 2010
Publikationsdatum:
11. November 2010 (online)
![](https://www.thieme-connect.de/media/sportsmed/201012/lookinside/thumbnails/10.1055-s-0030-1267159-1.jpg)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the vascular response of the Achilles tendon as indicated by power Doppler activity during a military training program of 6 weeks. 49 male military recruits (98 tendons) volunteered for this study. Before and during the military training program, the Achilles tendons were screened with gray-scale ultrasonography and power Doppler US. Reactive tendinopathies of the Achilles tendons were registered by means of a clinical examination, VAS-scores and VISA-A scores. The US examination, the clinical examination, VAS-scores and VISA-A scores showed that 13/98 tendons developed a reactive tendinopathy. 3 of these 13 symptomatic tendons showed intratendinous Doppler activity. In these tendons, pain was always present before the vascular response of the Achilles tendon. Both pain and hypervascularisation remained visible till the end of the basic military training. In 5 asymptomatic tendons with no structural changes of the tendon, a vascular response was seen during one single measurement. It can be hypothesized that there is no relationship between the vascular response of the Achilles tendon and the pain in a reactive tendinopathy. In a reactive tendinopathy, other pain mechanisms must be investigated in future research.
Key words
tendinopathy - hypervascularisation - overuse
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Correspondence
Dr. Nele Mahieu
Ghent University
Department of Rehabilitation
Sciences and Physiotherapy
De Pintelaan 185, 3B3
9000 Ghent
Belgium
Telefon: +32/9/332 37 68
Fax: +32/9/332 38 11
eMail: Nele.Mahieu@Ugent.be