Objective To report the outcome of surgery for chronic recalcitrant Achilles tendinopathy in nonathletic and athletic subjects. Design Case-control study. Setting University teaching hospitals. Patients We matched each of the 61 nonathletic patients with a diagnosis of tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon with an athletic patient with tendinopathy of the main body of the Achilles tendon of the same sex and age (±2 years). A match was possible for 56 patients (23 males and 33 females). Forty-eight nonathletic subjects and 45 athletic subjects agreed to participate. Interventions Open surgery for Achilles tendinopathy. Main Outcome Measure Outcome of surgery, return to sport, complication rate. Results Nonathletic patients were shorter and heavier than athletic patients. They had greater body mass index, calf circumference, side-to-side calf circumference differences, and subcutaneous body fat than athletic patients. Of the 48 nonathletic patients, 9 underwent further surgery during the study period, and only 25 reported an excellent or good result. Of the 45 athletic subjects, 4 underwent further surgery during the study period, and 36 reported an excellent or good result. The remaining patients could not return to their normal levels of activity. In all of them, pain significantly interfered with daily activities. Conclusions Nonathletic subjects experience more prolonged recovery, more complications, and a greater risk of further surgery than athletic subjects with recalcitrant Achilles tendinopathy.

We evaluated sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility and predictive value of palpation, of the painful arc sign, and of the ‘Royal London Hospital test’ in 10 patients with Achilles tendinopathy, and in 14 asymptomatic subjects using a test-retest study design. Ten male athletes on the waiting list for exploration of one of their Achilles tendons for tendinopathy of the main body of the tenon attended a special clinic. Each was invited to bring at least one athlete of the same sex in the same discipline aged within two years of themselves, with no history and no symptoms of AT. A total of 14 controls were thus recruited. Pain and tenderness following performance of palpation, the painful arc sign, and the ‘Royal London Hospital test’ were recorded. There were no statistically significant differences at the 5% level among the effects of investigator or between morning and afternoon measurements for any of the three assessment methods. There was no evidence of a difference of the three assessment methods (p> 0.05). When the three methods were combined, the overall sensitivity was 0.586 (CI 0.469 – 0.741) and the overall specificity was 0.833 (CI 0.758 – 0.889). In patients with tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon with a tender area of intratendinous swelling which moves with the tendon and whose tenderness significantly decreases or disappears when the tendon is put under tension, a clinical diagnosis of tendinopathy can be formulated, with a high positive predictive chance that the tendon will show ultrasonographic and histological features of tendinopathy.

ObjectiveTo evaluate sensitivity, specificity, reproducibility, and predictive value of palpation of the painful arc sign and of the Royal London Hospital test in 10 patients with Achilles tendinopathy and in 14 asymptomatic subjects. DesignTest-retest study. SettingUniversity teaching hospital. ParticipantsTen male athletes on the waiting list for exploration of one of their Achilles tendons for tendinopathy of the main body of the tendon attended a special clinic. Each was invited to bring at least one athlete of the same sex in the same discipline aged within 2 years of themselves with no history and no symptoms of Achilles tendinopathy. A total of 14 controls were thus recruited. Main Outcome MeasuresPain and tenderness following performance of palpation, the painful arc sign, and the Royal London Hospital test. ResultsThere were no statistically significant differences at the 5% level among the effects of investigator or between morning and afternoon measurements for any of the three measurement methods. There was no evidence of a difference of the three assessment methods (p > 0.05). When the three methods were combined, the overall sensitivity was 0.586 (confidence interval [CI], 0.469–0.741), and the overall specificity was 0.833 (CI, 0.758–0.889). ConclusionsIn patients with tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon with a tender area of intratendinous swelling that moves with the tendon and whose tenderness significantly decreases or disappears when the tendon is put under tension, a clinical diagnosis of tendinopathy can be formulated, with a high positive predictive chance that the tendon will show ultrasonographic and histologic features of tendinopathy.

Fifty-two knees were examined using real-time high-definition ultrasonography with a 7.5 MHz probe. The extra-articular structures were easily visualized and diagnosis of patellar tendon lesions and Baker's cysts formulated. While the meniscal cartilages were shown as a homogeneous triangular structure between the femoral condyle and the tibial plateau, no lesions were detected. Deeper intra-articular structures, such as the cruciate ligaments, were not shown by the scan, thus their evaluation was not possible. Given its low cost, wide availability, non-invasiveness and patients' acceptability of the technique, ultrasonography may play an important role in the diagnosis of soft tissue lesions in and around the knee joint.

Ultrasound scanning was performed at different postoperative times on a total of 22 patients who underwent an end-to-end suture using absorbable material following a full thickness subcutaneous rupture of their Achilles tendon. All ultrasonic examinations were performed using a 5 MHz sectorial probe. The parameters taken into account were the size of the tendon, its borders and echographic pattern, the possible surgical sequelae, and residual pathology. Moreover, maximal isometric voluntary contraction, isometric endurance, and toe raising were tested. The patients' personal postoperative condition and satisfaction was also assessed. The operated tendon remained of increased thickness 9 months after surgery, and the suture material, although absorbable, was still visible on ultrasound scans at that time. Diagnostic ultrasonography can be used as a guide for physiotherapy in patients undergoing surgery for rupture of the Achilles tendon.

The findings of ultrasound examination at and around the lateral humeral epicondyle in 41 tennis players suffering from so called tennis elbow are reported. Ultrasound examinations were performed with a real time ultrasound machine. The tenderness and functional impairment of tennis elbow may be caused by several different lesions, at times appearing in association. Six ultrasonographic characteristics could be identified: Enthesiopathy The proximal part of the tendon was enlarged and there were echogenicity alterations. Tendonitis The tendon of the extensor carpi radialis brevis was enlarged and areas of dyshomogeneous hypoechogenicity were evident with loss of the normal microscopic waveform structure of the tendon collagen. Peritendonitis A thickening of the peritendonous lining was present. Bursitis A bursa was located on the inferior surface of the tendon of the extensor carpi radialis brevis. Intramuscular haematoma Some circular or ovoid hypoechogenic areas within the muscular substance of the extensor carpi radialis brevis were evident. Mixed lesions These were not correlated with the intensity and the duration of the symptoms. Ultrasonographic examination gives a detailed ++image of the structures involved in the tennis elbow syndrome, confirms the diagnosis, and may be useful in monitoring treatment.

The great upsurge in popularity of running activities has increased the number of athletes presenting with pathology of the Achilles tendon. A clinical and ultrasonic study was performed on 47 middle and long distance runners referred to the Authors with such problems. The results of this study can be grouped as follows: 1. paratendonitis: enlargement of the antero-posterior diameter of the tendon, and hyperechogenicity of Kager's triangle; 2. tendonitis (with or without paratendonitis): thickening of the tendon, with the presence of degenerative nodules; 3. enthesopathy: thickening of the distal part of the tendon, enlargement of the hypoechogenic area behind the tendon itself and microcalcification.