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Effect of Foot Position During Rehabilitation of Achilles Tendinopathy on Tendon Mechanics and Symptoms.
Sponsor: KU Leuven
Summary
This study will investigate whether a 12-week load-based exercise program performed with an externally rotated foot position ("toes-out") leads to different changes in intra-tendinous sliding, symptoms, and function compared to a standard exercise program performed with a neutral foot position in individuals with mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy. In addition, physical activity will be monitored during and after the intervention to examine how daily loading patterns relate to symptoms and functional recovery over a 6-month period.
Official title: The Effect of Foot Positioning During a 12-week Supervised Training Program on Achilles Tendon Mechanics and Function in Individuals With Mid-portion Achilles Tendinopathy.
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - 65 Years
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
60
Start Date
2026-02-19
Completion Date
2027-08-31
Last Updated
2026-06-03
Healthy Volunteers
No
Conditions
Interventions
12-week adaptive, load-based exercise therapy protocol for Achilles Tendinopathy
A 12-week progressive, load-based exercise program was developed, consisting of four daily exercises with gradually increasing tendon load over time. The program was based on the exercise battery and according Achilles Tendon loading index described by Baxter et al. (2021) and included a wide variety of 30 exercises (heel raise variations, step exercises, squats, lunges, jump variations, ...). A new exercise was introduced every four days, while weekly supervised sessions ensured correct execution and allowed for adjustments based on patient tolerance (e.g., excessive knee loading, too high pain scores during specific exercises, …). This flexible approach enabled gradual progression of each participant's daily load index according to individual capacity. An estimated time of 20-30 minutes daily is needed to execute all the daily exercises.
Locations (1)
KU Leuven
Leuven, Vlaams-Brabant, Belgium