Clinical Research Directory

Gastrocnemius Tightness and Foot Pain in Children

Foot and leg pain among otherwise healthy children is a common reason for referral to our pediatric orthopaedics outpatient clinic. The pain is often intermittent and transient, but for some the pain is more dominating and has an impact on the child and families. Children grown and have normal anatomical variations such as in-toeing, out-toeing, hypermobility, flatfeet, knock knees etc. Assessing such normal variants is a major part of pediatric orthopaedic practice, and a common finding is a positive Silvferskiöld test, indicating gastrocnemius tightness. This is when dorsiflexion of the ankle is limited with extended knee, compared to flexed knee. We do not know if this is a more frequent finding among children with foot and leg pain. There is however evidence that adults with painful foot conditions often have gastrocnemius tightness. This project will investigate for gastrocnemius tightness in otherwise healthy children referred to our pediatric orthopaedic outpatient clinic with foot and leg pain, and compare results with a similar control group of children without pain. The aim is to investigate if there is an association, and how pain and tightness develops over time. The knowledge from this project will enable us to develop new treatment strategies to this patient group, where current evidence based recommendations are few.

Effectiveness of Rehabilitation Protocol in Patients With Shortened Posterior Leg Muscles

The goal of this clinical study is to develop a specialized rehabilitation exercise protocol designed for patients diagnosed with foot pathologies and calf muscle shortening, regardless of their choice to undergo minimally invasive ultrasound-guided surgery. The primary focus is to assess disparities in outcomes, particularly in the recovery of ankle mobility degrees. Additionally, for patients opting for minimally invasive ultrasound-guided surgery, the study aims to evaluate the resumption of both sporting activities and daily routines using the aforementioned specific rehabilitation protocol. The primary questions this study aims to answer are: * How does the proposed rehabilitation protocol impact ankle mobility recovery for patients with foot pathologies and calf muscle shortening? * What are the differences observed in the return to sporting activities and daily life among patients undergoing minimally invasive ultrasound-guided surgery, following the prescribed protocol? Participants enrolled in this study will be engaged in: Undertaking the specified rehabilitation exercises tailored for foot pathologies and calf muscle shortening. Those opting for minimally invasive ultrasound-guided surgery will follow the same rehabilitation protocol post-surgery to assess its impact on their return to normal activities. If there exists a comparison group: Researchers will compare participants who undergo minimally invasive ultrasound-guided surgery against those who choose other treatment options to discern any differential effects on ankle mobility recovery and resumption of activities.