Evidence map›Paper›PMID 26347394›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of sports physical therapy2015

WHY ARE ECCENTRIC EXERCISES EFFECTIVE FOR ACHILLES TENDINOPATHY?

Seth O'Neill, Paul J Watson, Simon Barry

Registry-linked trialOpen access · greenAbstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of sports physical therapy, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07360873 (Effect of Eccentric Exercises of Calf Muscles Versus Heel Insole Lift on Pain, Range of Motion, and Function in Football Players With Achilles Tendinopathy), which is not on this map. Cited by 42 papers, 6 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
42citing papers in PubMed, 6 pooled it
4.1field-weighted citation impact, top 6% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07360873 nacompletednot on this mapstarted 2025, after this paper: background citation

Effect of Eccentric Exercises of Calf Muscles Versus Heel Insole Lift on Pain, Range of Motion, and Function in Football Players With Achilles Tendinopathy

TypeinterventionalSponsorAdnan HashimRan2025 to 2025Enrolled24ConditionsAchilles Tendinopathy (AT)ArmsEccentric Calf Muscle Exercises, Heel Insole Lift
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

42 citing papers in PubMed, 6 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 77 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Platelet-rich plasma in chronic Achilles tendinopathy.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2023
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  12. Transcriptional Adaptations to Muscle Loading in a Murine Model of Achilles Tendinopathy.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2026
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  17. The Efficacy of Intratissue Percutaneous Electrolysis (EPIInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2024
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Seth O'NeillUniversity of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Paul J WatsonUniversity of Leicester, Leicester, UK.
Simon BarryCoventry University, Coventry, UK.
University of Leicester · GBCoventry University · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

unlabelledAchilles Tendinopathy is a complex problem, with the most common conservative treatment being eccentric exercises. Despite multiple studies assessing this treatment regime little is known about the mechanism of effect. This lack of understanding may be hindering therapeutic care and preventing optimal rehabilitation. Of the mechanisms proposed, most relate to tendon adaptation and fail to consider other possibilities. The current consensus is that tendon adaptation does not occur within timeframes associated with clinical improvements, therefore the clinical benefits must occur through another unidentified pathway. This clinical commentary critically reviews each of the proposed theories and highlights that muscle alterations are observed prior to onset of Achilles Tendinopathy and during the disease. Evidence shows that the observed muscle alterations change with treatment and that these adaptations have the ability to reduce tendon load and thereby improve tendon health. The purpose of this clinical commentary is to review previous theories regarding the mechanisms by which eccentric exercise might affect Achilles tendinopathy and offers a novel mechanism by which the plantarflexor muscles may shield the Achilles tendon. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: 5.

Indexed as

Achilleseccentric exerciseefficacyTend*

Identifiers

PMID26347394
PMCPMC4527202
OpenAlexW2405482903

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.