Achilles tendinopathy (AT), or Achilles tendinitis, is an injury of the Achilles tendon, which connects the calf muscle to the heel bone. The usual care given to patients with AT does not result in positive outcomes. This study aims to evaluate whether the addition of a high volume injection without corticosteroids to usual care can improve clinical outcomes in patients with AT.
This patient and assessor-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized clinical trial included a total of 80 adults aged 18-70 years with clinically diagnosed chronic midportion AT and neovascularization. The patients were assigned to an exercise program for 24 weeks, with one 50 mL high volume injection of saline and lidocaine (intravenous group) or 2 mL placebo (placebo group). The primary outcome of the study was pain and function measured using the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire.
The VISA-A score improved significantly in the intravenous group (40.4 at baseline to 59.1), and the placebo group (36.9 to 58.). No differences in patient satisfaction and return to the desired sports were found between the two groups.
The research concluded that adding a high volume injection without corticosteroids in addition to the usual care did not have a significant impact in reducing symptoms in patients with chronic AT.
Ref: https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m3027
