RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Effectiveness of customised foot orthoses for Achilles tendinopathy: a randomised controlled trial
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 989
OP 994
DO 10.1136/bjsports-2014-093845
VO 49
IS 15
A1 Shannon E Munteanu
A1 Lisa A Scott
A1 Daniel R Bonanno
A1 Karl B Landorf
A1 Tania Pizzari
A1 Jill L Cook
A1 Hylton B Menz
YR 2015
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/49/15/989.abstract
AB Aim To evaluate the effectiveness of customised foot orthoses in chronic mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy.Methods This was a participant-blinded, parallel-group randomised controlled trial at a single centre (La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia). One hundred and forty participants aged 18–55 years with mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy were randomised to receive eccentric calf muscle exercises with either customised foot orthoses (intervention group) or sham foot orthoses (control group). Allocation to intervention was concealed. The Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire was completed at baseline, then at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months, with 3 months being the primary end point. Differences between groups were analysed using intention to treat with analysis of covariance.Results After randomisation into the customised foot orthoses group (n=67) or sham foot orthoses group (n=73), there was 70.7% follow-up of participants at 3 months. There were no significant differences between groups at any time point. At 3 months, the mean (SD) VISA-A score was 82.1 (16.3) and 79.2 (20.0) points for the customised and sham foot orthosis groups, respectively (adjusted mean difference (95% CI)=2.6 (−2.9 to 8.0), p=0.353). There were no clinically meaningful differences between groups in any of the secondary outcome measures.Conclusions Customised foot orthoses, prescribed according to the protocol in this study, are no more effective than sham foot orthoses for reducing symptoms and improving function in people with mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy undergoing an eccentric calf muscle exercise programme.Trial Registration Number Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry: number ACTRN12609000829213.