Evidence map›Paper›PMID 28856388›Full record

Trial reportKnee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA2018

No beneficial effect of Polidocanol treatment in Achilles tendinopathy: a randomised controlled trial.

B H Ebbesen, C M Mølgaard, J L Olesen, H E Gregersen, O Simonsen

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA, 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
10citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

10 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Review
  4. Achilles tendinopathy.Nature reviews. Disease primers · 2025
    Review
  5. Article
  6. [Tendinopathies of the Achilles tendon].Zeitschrift fur Rheumatologie · 2021
    Article
  7. Article
  8. Review
  9. Overuse injuries in sport: a comprehensive overview.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2018
    Review
  10. Article
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

5 authors.

B H EbbesenDepartment of Physio and Occupational Therapy, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark.
C M MølgaardDepartment of Physio and Occupational Therapy, Aalborg University Hospital, Hobrovej 18-22, 9000, Aalborg, Denmark. cmm@rn.dk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7427-8078
J L OlesenResearch Unit for General Practice in Aalborg Clinical Institute, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
H E GregersenDepartment of Radiology, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.
O SimonsenDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, Aalborg University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePolidocanol injections have been used to treat chronic Achilles tendinopathy in clinical settings, but the few studies published show inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid-term effect of Polidocanol in patients with chronic Achilles tendinopathy. It was hypothesised that patients treated with Polidocanol would have significant improvements in the outcome measures investigated compared to patients treated with a placebo treatment at mid-term follow-up.

methodsThis randomised controlled trial included forty-eight patients aged 32-77 years with a history of Achilles tendinopathy for at least 3 months and with neovascularisation demonstrated by ultrasonography was included. A minimum of 3 months of eccentric exercise treatment was required before participating. The patients were allocated to a maximum of two injection of either Polidocanol or Lidocaine (placebo). The primary outcome measure was pain during walking reported on a visual analogue scale. Secondary outcome measures were Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), patient satisfaction with treatment and, shortly after inclusion, the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles questionnaire (VISA-A) was also included. Follow-up examinations were performed after 3 and 6 months.

resultsPain during walking decreased during the 6-month follow-up period, but no significant differences were seen between the two groups. The same tendency was seen for FAOS and VISA-A in which both groups showed an improvement at 3- and 6-month follow-up, but no mid-term differences between the groups were seen. An equal number of patients in the two groups were satisfied with the treatment at follow-up.

conclusionsThe results indicate that Polidocanol is a safe treatment, but the mid-term effects are the same as a placebo treatment. This further questions the use of Polidocanol in the treatment of chronic Achilles tendinopathy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: I.

Indexed as

Achilles TendonPatient SatisfactionAdultAgedAnesthetics, LocalChronic DiseaseExerciseFemaleHumansInjectionsLidocaineMaleMiddle AgedNeovascularization, PathologicPain MeasurementPolidocanolAnesthetics, LocalLidocainePolidocanolPolyethylene GlycolsSclerosing SolutionsAchilles tendinopathyNeovascularisationPolidocanolSclerosing

Identifiers

PMID28856388

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.