Evidence map›Paper›PMID 29766442›Full record

SynthesisSports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.)2018

Rate of Improvement of Pain and Function in Mid-Portion Achilles Tendinopathy with Loading Protocols: A Systematic Review and Longitudinal Meta-Analysis.

Myles Murphy, Mervyn Travers, William Gibson, Paola Chivers, James Debenham, Sean Docking, Ebonie Rio

Open access · greenAbstract readMeta-AnalysisSystematic Review
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 2018. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 41 papers, 9 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
41citing papers in PubMed, 9 pooled it
9.7field-weighted citation impact, top 1% 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.

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

41 citing papers in PubMed, 9 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 107 citations in OpenAlex.

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  13. Engineered NestinJournal of extracellular vesicles · 2026
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  16. Impact of Heavy Slow ResistanceHealth care science · 2025
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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

7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Myles MurphySchool of Physiotherapy, University of Notre Dame Australia, 19 Mouat Street, PO Box 1225, Fremantle, WA, 6959, Australia. myles.murphy1@my.nd.edu.au.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6068-1096
Mervyn TraversSchool of Physiotherapy, University of Notre Dame Australia, 19 Mouat Street, PO Box 1225, Fremantle, WA, 6959, Australia.
William GibsonSchool of Physiotherapy, University of Notre Dame Australia, 19 Mouat Street, PO Box 1225, Fremantle, WA, 6959, Australia.
Paola ChiversInstitute for Health Research, University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle, WA, Australia.
James DebenhamSchool of Physiotherapy, University of Notre Dame Australia, 19 Mouat Street, PO Box 1225, Fremantle, WA, 6959, Australia.
Sean DockingLa Trobe Sports and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
Ebonie RioLa Trobe Sports and Exercise Medicine Research Centre, La Trobe University, Bundoora, VIC, Australia.
La Trobe University · AUThe University of Notre Dame Australia · AUCurtin University · AUEdith Cowan University · AUSt John of God Subiaco Hospital · AU

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMid-portion Achilles tendinopathy is prevalent within both the athletic and non-athletic populations and loading protocols for Achilles tendinopathy are effective over time, though the rate of symptom change throughout rehabilitation is unknown.

objectiveThe objective of this study was to determine the rate of change in pain and function over time in patients while completing a loading protocol for mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy.

methodsA systematic review and longitudinal meta-analysis was conducted as per the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. The databases PubMed, CINAHL (Ovid) and CINAHL (EBSCO) were searched for articles published from inception until 31 July, 2017. Our search focused on clinical trials and cohort studies examining changes in pain and function when completing a loading protocol for mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy. The primary outcome measure assessing pain and function was the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire.

resultsA total of 31 separate cohorts (24 studies) were eligible, with follow-up ranging from 2 weeks to 6 months. The data were pooled to create the mean (standard deviation) of change from baseline at each time point. The data demonstrated an improvement in pain and function as early as 2 weeks that appeared to peak at 12 weeks with a mean (standard deviation) of 21.11 (6.61) points of change on the VISA-A.

conclusionThe improvement in pain and function during rehabilitation suggests future research should be directed toward investigating contributing mechanisms as tendon structure on imaging does not change within 2 weeks and muscular hypertrophy is not seen for at least 4 weeks following the inception of a loading protocol. Systematic Review Registry: PROSPERO registration number: CRD42017062737 ( https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/display_record.php?RecordID=62737 ).

Indexed as

SportsAchilles TendonAdolescentAdultFemaleHumansMaleMusculoskeletal DiseasesPainPain MeasurementTendinopathy

Identifiers

PMID29766442
OpenAlexW2804669017

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.