Treatment of recurrent tendinitis by isokinetic eccentric exercises

Article type: Research Article

Authors: Croisier, Jean-Louis^a | Forthomme, Bénédicte^a | Foidart-Dessalle, Marguerite^a | Godon, Bernard^a | Crielaard, Jean-Michel^a

Affiliations: [a] Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, CHU Sart Tilman, B.35, 4000 Liege, Belgium

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of eccentric training models in treating various types of tendinitis and evaluate protection from re-injury when returning to causal activities. Isokinetic eccentric training was administered to 34 patients with chronic tendinitis (9 Achilles, 10 patellar and 15 epicondyllar) with a long duration of symptoms and failure of conventional treatment. Following training which consisted of 20 to 30 sessions of progressive increase of load and speed parameters, a significant reduction of pain indicated by the visual analog scale (average initial value > 6.5, final score ≤ 2.5). Seventy four percent of the patients were completely relieved or presented marked decrease in symptoms when returning to sport and occupational activities, and only 12% state. At the end of treatment, isokinetic assessment revealed no significant concentric or eccentric peak torque asymmetries between involved and non-involved sides. In comparison with pretreatment ultrasound observations which showed systematic hypoechoic lesions and thickness, 14/34 patients recovered homogeneous tendon structure and normalization of the diameter and 15 presented improvement in echostructure. Our treatment model proposing isokinetic eccentric exercises presents a very satisfactory short-term effect on three different localizations of chronic tendinitis.

DOI: 10.3233/IES-2001-0077

Journal: Isokinetics and Exercise Science, vol. 9, no. 2-3, pp. 133-141, 2001