Active clinical trials for "Tendinopathy"

The purpose of this study is to compare the effectiveness of arthroscopic subacromial decompression (acromioplasty) to arthroscopic subacromial bursectomy (no acromioplasty) in rotator cuff impingement syndrome. The investigators' hypothesis is that arthroscopic subacromial decompression provides no additional benefit, as evaluated with disease specific quality of life measures, compared to arthroscopic bursectomy.

The aim of the trial is comparison of the effectiveness of three methods of conservative treatment in partial thickness rotator cuff injury (PTRCI): collagen with PRP injections, PRP injections alone and collagen injections alone.

The purpose of this study is to explore the possible effects Kinesio Tape may have on proprioception in individuals with patellar tendonitis. A supportive knee application, a facilitative hip application, and a combination of the two will be applied and compared. Within and between group comparisons will be drawn. Participants will report for two research sessions with 24-36 hours between. Prior to arrival, they will complete a digital Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment for Patellar Tendonitis (VISA-P) and email it to the researcher. Participants must score less than 80 (out of a possible 100) to be considered for this study. If the individual meets the inclusion criteria, he/she will be scheduled for the 1st session. Upon arrival to the first session, informed consent will be obtained, the VISA-P will be reviewed, and intance of patellar tendonitis will be confirmed through palpation. Participants will then completed a Tampa Scale for Kinesiophobia (TSK) to measure fear of movement and a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) to measure overall pain. Height and weight measurments will be taken due to requirements of the Biodex Balance System (BBS), which will be used for balance measurements. Participants will take two, twenty-second practice tests, one with eyes open and one with eyes closed, followed by two minutes rest. Baseline testing will then be completed as follows: the participant will complete two tests with eyes open, and two tests with eyes closed on the injured leg, each with one minute rest between. The participant will then be taped with Kinesio Tape to either the hip, knee, or both the hip and knee according to the random group assignment. They will then rest for 15 minutes and complete a second round of balance testing with the same parameters as baseline testing. Participants will be scheduled for a second day no less that 24 hours and no more than 36 hours for re-test purposes. On the second day of testing, participants will be given $10 for their participation on Day 1. If they want to continue with testing procedures, they will participate in the same balance testing procedures as Day 1. The integrety of the tape application will be confirmed, and second TSK and VAS scale will be administered. A final round of balance testing will be completed, and the participant will receive an additional $10 if they choose to complete both days of testing. This research will allow us to compare results of the TSK, the VAS and the BBS testing both within subject and between group.

The study aims to evaluate the effect of low load resistance training combined with blood flow restriction or sham blood flow restriction in patients with anterior knee pain and rotator cuff related shoulder pain in a cross-over two-arm randomized, participant and assessor blinded design. More specifically, we aim to investigate the acute and short-term hypoalgesic response (by evaluating pressure pain detection thresholds) of low load exercise with blood flow restriction or sham blood flow restriction, the effect of these interventions in pain during clinical testing, and the possibility of a placebo effect.

Calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain. Ultrasound guided percutaneous lavage (UGPL or barbotage or irrigation) of calcific tendinopathy is indicated when conservative treatments (physiotherapy, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs) have failed. Our hypothesis is that lavage followed by intra-calcic injection of STS could fasten the dissolution of the calcific deposit. In view of the short half-life of this molecule the investigators hypothesize that this would happen within the first month after the procedure. Therefore, the investigatorschose to assess our primary objective at 1 month. Few studies have evaluated the short-term radiographic evolution after lavage.

Rotator cuff tendinitis (RCT) has a prevalence between 2.7 and 22%, and predominantly affects middle-aged women. The pathophysiology has not been fully elucidated to date. RCT is characterized by hydroxyapatite crystal deposition in the rotator cuff tendons. Approximately half of the patients with RCT have pain with acute or chronic shoulder mobility limitation. In some patients, RCT shows a tendency for spontaneous and rapid regression. Diagnostic ultrasound (D-US) is a non-invasive, non-ionizing, and relatively inexpensive diagnostic imaging method that is safe and reliable in assessing rotator cuff pathology. It is very sensitive in the identification of calcifications that are shown in grayscale (B-mode) as hyperechoic structures with or without acoustic shadow. Based on ultrasound findings, Chiou HJ et al. have classified calcifications into 4 types: type I are arcuate, type II are fragmented or punctiform, type III are nodular, and type IV are cystic. Spontaneous resorption may occur with type III and IV calcifications. A positive Doppler signal (PD) surrounding the calcification is highly correlated with pain intensity. According to the European Union of Medical Specialists-Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (UEMS-PRM) guidelines, the basis of RCT therapy is individual medical gymnastics (IMG). It includes exercises aimed to restore full shoulder mobility, and improve rotator cuff and scapular stabilizer muscles strength. Other passive procedures are elective in the choice of treatment. Ultrasound therapy is often used in the treatment of musculoskeletal shoulder pathology due to its thermal and non-thermal effects. It is considered that tissue heating stimulates healing (vasodilation, acceleration of the metabolism, and improvement of the viscoelastic properties of the connective tissue). The frequency of ultrasound therapy is selected depending on the desired depth of action (3 MHz for surface structures up to 2.5 cm depth, and 1 MHz for deeper structures, up to 5 cm depth). Pulse mode is commonly used in acute, while continuous in chronic conditions. To date, only a few studies have evaluated the reduction in calcification size after ultrasound therapy. Although ultrasound therapy is routinely used in the treatment of painful shoulder, reviewing the results of research published so far, we can say that current knowledge about the effectiveness of ultrasound therapy in RCT is inconsistent (only several studies with a small number of subjects, different parameters of applied ultrasound therapy in terms of penetration depth, applied energy and duration of treatment). This indicates the need for further research.

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the use of NuShield in subjects requiring surgical tendon repair.

Hypothesis: High volume saline injections are an effective pain relieving treatment for people with longstanding pain in the achilles tendon which has not improved with a physiotherapy programme. Objective 1: To establish whether high volume saline injections are an effective treatment in decreasing pain for people with achilles tendinopathy Objective 2: To investigate whether high volume saline injections can improve day to day functioning, quality of life and the ultrasound appearances of the tendon for people with achilles tendinopathy Objective 3: To assess the tolerability of the procedure and levels of patient satisfaction using a simple questionnaire. Objective 4: To follow up the cohort of people who have received the injection for 9 months and ascertain whether any benefits persisted, or if the symptoms recurred. Background: Achilles tendon disorders are a common problem for athletes with a lifetime risk of around 50%. They are also common for less active people with a lifetime risk of around 6%. Tendinopathy is a condition which is characterised by pain, difficulty with weight bearing and swelling of the tendon. Symptoms may occur with exercise at first but can progress to occurring at rest and interfering with day to day activities. When the problematic tendon is examined under the microscope, it usually shows signs of degeneration rather than inflammation - especially when symptoms have been persistent. An ultrasound scan will usually show that the tendon is swollen with an increased water content and a disorganised tendon structure. A special type of ultrasound scan which looks at fluid flows, called a doppler ultrasound, often shows areas of increased blood flow around the tendon. Studies have shown that when these areas of increased blood flow are present, the patient tends to be experiencing more pain and stiffness in the tendon. Under the microscope, these blood vessels are often accompanied by nerve fibres and it has been suggested that these newly growing nerve endings are responsible for the persistent pain that patients experience. There is robust evidence that a particular type of exercise programme (eccentric loading) is an effective treatment for achilles tendinopathy. These exercises involve taking weight on the tendon whilst it is being compressed rather than stretched - heel lowering exercises. Nevertheless after completing a 3 month eccentric loading exercise programme, around 24-45% of patients will still have symptoms. There is no clear consensus amongst doctors as to what is the best second line treatment to try for this group of people. A number of different treatments have been described in research literature to try to treat this group of people with persistent symptoms, although no firm conclusion can be reached. There have been 2 small trials of high volume saline injections which showed some promising potential for the treatment. The aim of this injection is to destroy the blood vessels and nerve endings that grow into the swollen tendon to reduce pain and allow people to move and exercise more normally using the tendon. These studies simply looked at before and after injection results and did not compare the injections to a placebo or other treatment. The aim of this project is to conduct a high quality comparison of this new type of injection against a more common steroid and local anaesthetic injection around the tendon sheath. The design of the trial is a double blind, randomised controlled trial. This means that neither the patient, nor the doctor collecting data on pain scores knows which treatment the participant has been given, allowing a fair comparison of the interventions. The main comparisons between the 2 groups will take place at a 6 week follow up appointment. Once outcome measures have been recorded by the blinded assessor, the participant will then be told which arm of the study they are on. If they previously received the control injection (steroid and local anaesthetic only)and they still have symptoms, they will at this stage be offered the high volume saline injection as well. The investigators will then follow all of the study participants up for 9 months to ascertain whether people show a persistent benefit from the treatment, or whether symptoms subsequently return. The full study protocol is available on request from the Principle Investigator, along with information leaflets, ethical approvals etc.

Ultrasound guided needling is becoming an accepted treatment for patients with shoulder pain due to calcifying tendinitis. However, evidence for this treatment is lacking. The investigators expect that patients treated with us guided needling with corticosteroid injection compared with patients treated with only corticosteroid injections in the subacromial bursa have better clinical outcome after one year follow-up.

The plantaris tendon is recognised as an important factor in non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy (NIAT). A biomechanical study found the plantaris tendon is stiffer and stronger than the Achilles tendon (AT), thus reducing its capacity to elongate in response to loading. This is hypothesized to result in friction between the AT and plantaris in some NIAT patients. Current treatment is conservative management: physiotherapy and high volume injection of the paratenon. However 29% of patients fail to respond to conservative management and those with plantaris related symptoms require its surgical excision and stripping of the ventral aspect of the AT through a 3cm medial incision. This is performed in theatres under general anaesthetic with good or excellent results reported in 90% of cases. Purely cutting the plantaris tendon using a minimally invasive endoscopic technique has also been successful. The plantaris tendon is easily visualized under ultrasound scan (USS) and tenotomy of tendons under USS guidance is performed elsewhere. Tenotomy of the plantaris tendon under USS guidance would necessitate a 5mm incision and may be performed under local anaesthetic as an out-patient. The current study thus plans a randomised clinical trial to compare outcomes (VISA-A scores and ultrasound tissue characterisation scans) from patients with NIAT undergoing plantaris release using an open surgical procedure with those undergoing a minimally invasive US guided procedure. The former is known to provide good clinical outcomes; however the latter could significantly reduce post-operative scarring, recovery times and costs. Findings will ensure ethical, quality and cost effective patient care.