Evidence map›Paper›PMID 33247156›Full record

ArticleScientific reports2020

Relationship between tendon structure, stiffness, gait patterns and patient reported outcomes during the early stages of recovery after an Achilles tendon rupture.

Didier Laurent, Lorcan Walsh, Amir Muaremi, Nicolau Beckmann, Eckhard Weber, Frederique Chaperon, Harry Haber, Joerg Goldhahn, Andrea Sabine Klauser, Michael Blauth and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Scientific reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
15citing papers in PubMed
–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

15 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Achilles Tendon Shear Wave Velocity Within a 1-Year Follow-Up After Non-Operatively Treated Rupture.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2026
    Article
  2. Article
  3. Muscle Contraction Is Essential for Tendon Healing and Muscle Function Recovery After Achilles Tendon Rupture and Surgical Repair.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2025
    Article
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Minimal effect of scanning parameters on ultrasound shear wave elastography variability in tendons.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2024
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Achilles tendon and triceps surae muscle properties in athletes.European journal of applied physiology · 2024
    Article
  11. Quantative MRI predicts tendon mechanical behavior, collagen composition, and organization.Journal of orthopaedic research : official publication of the Orthopaedic Research Society · 2023
    Article
  12. Review
  13. Article
  14. Review
  15. 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

11 authors.

Didier LaurentTranslational Medicine Department, Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 10-3.40.4, 4002, Basel, Switzerland. didier.laurent@novartis.com.
Lorcan WalshNovartis Ireland Ltd., Elm Park, Merrion Road, Dublin 4, Ireland.
Amir MuaremiTranslational Medicine Department, Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 10-3.40.4, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.
Nicolau BeckmannMusculoskeletal Diseases Area, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.
Eckhard WeberMusculoskeletal Diseases Area, Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.
Frederique ChaperonTranslational Medicine Department, Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 10-3.40.4, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.
Harry HaberTranslational Medicine Department, Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 10-3.40.4, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.
Joerg GoldhahnInstitute for Translational Medicine, ETH Zürich, HCP H 15.3, Leopold-Ruzicka-Weg 4, 8093, Zürich, Switzerland.
Andrea Sabine KlauserDepartment of Radiology, Medical University Innsbruck, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Michael BlauthDepartment of Trauma Surgery, Center Operative Medicine, University Hospital, Anichstrasse 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
Matthias SchiekerTranslational Medicine Department, Novartis Institute for BioMedical Research, Fabrikstrasse 10-3.40.4, 4002, Basel, Switzerland.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

After an Achilles tendon (AT) injury, the decision to return to full weightbearing for the practice of sports or strenuous activities is based on clinical features only. In this study, tendon stiffness and foot plantar pressure, as objective quantitative measures that could potentially inform clinical decision making, were repeatedly measured in 15 patients until 3 months after the AT rupture by using shear wave elastography (SWE) and wearable insoles, respectively. Meanwhile, patient reported outcomes assessing the impact on physical activity were evaluated using the Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS). At week-2 post-injury, stiffness of the injured tendon varied from 6.00 ± 1.62 m/s (mean ± SD) close to the rupture to 8.91 ± 2.29 m/s when measured more distally. While near complete recovery was observed in distal and middle regions at week-8, the shear wave velocity in the proximal region recovered to only 65% of the contralateral value at week-12. In a parallel pre-clinical study, the tendon stiffness measured in vivo by SWE in a rat model was found to be strongly correlated with ex vivo values of the Young's modulus, which attests to the adequacy of SWE for these measures. The insole derived assessment of the plantar pressure distribution during walking showed slight sub-optimal function of the affected foot at week-12, while the ATRS score recovered to a level of 59 ± 16. Significant correlations found between tendon stiffness, insole variables and distinct ATRS activities, suggest clinical relevance of tendon stiffness and foot plantar pressure measurements. These results illustrate how an alteration of the AT structure can impact daily activities of affected patients and show how digital biomarkers can track recovery in function over time.

Indexed as

Patient Reported Outcome MeasuresRecovery of FunctionAchilles TendonAnimalsElasticity Imaging TechniquesFemaleGaitHumansMaleMiddle AgedRatsRats, Sprague-DawleyRuptureTendon InjuriesTreatment OutcomeWalking

Identifiers

PMID33247156
PMCPMC7695820

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Registered trials

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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.