Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37308969›Full record

Trial reportTrials2023

Clinical effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy as an adjunct treatment to eccentric exercise for Achilles tendinopathy: a randomised controlled trial.

Violet Man-Chi Ko, Xin He, Sai-Chuen Fu, Patrick Shu-Hang Yung, Samuel Ka-Kin Ling

2 registry-linked trialsOpen access · goldAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Trials, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 2 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
2.2field-weighted citation impact, top 13% 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.

NCT05316961 naunknown statusnot on this map

Clinical Effectiveness of Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy as a Treatment Adjunct to Eccentric Exercise for Achilles Tendinopathy: a Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorChinese University of Hong KongRan2021 to 2024Enrolled54ConditionsAchilles TendinopathyArmsActive PEMF, Sham PEMF, Eccentric exercise
NCT07330414 not yet recruitingnot on this mapstarted 2026, after this paper: background citation

CUHK Achilles Tendon Disorder Registry

Typeobservational_patient_registrySponsorChinese University of Hong KongRan2026 to 2030Enrolled200ConditionsAchilles Tendon Injury, Achilles Tendon, Achilles Tendon Pain
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Article
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  5. 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 at 1 institution in 1 country.

Violet Man-Chi KoDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Xin HeDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Sai-Chuen FuDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Patrick Shu-Hang YungDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Samuel Ka-Kin LingDepartment of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Faculty of Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Shatin, Hong Kong SAR, China. samuel.ling@link.cuhk.edu.hk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-4528-9074
Chinese University of Hong Kong · HK

Funding

Health and Medical Research Fund 10210186
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body. Achilles tendinopathy (AT) is a common clinical problem with Achilles overuse. Eccentric exercise is often used as an initial treatment for these patients. Most patients with AT experienced moderate to severe pain, limiting the incentive to perform eccentric exercise. It is difficult for them to complete eccentric exercise for 3 months consecutively to obtain significant improvements. Using PEMF as an adjunct, there could be immediate pain relief and improved response to eccentric exercise by modulating the mechanical properties of the Achilles tendon. Participants may experience less pain while performing eccentric exercises to increase compliance with the rehabilitation programme.

methodsThis prospective randomised double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial aims to investigate the treatment effects of PEMF for participants with AT. All participants are randomised into two groups: the intervention group (n = 20; active PEMF treatment and eccentric exercise) and the control group (n = 20; sham treatment and eccentric exercise). Researchers perform self-reported, functional and ultrasonographic outcomes during baseline assessment, 4 weeks, 8 weeks follow-ups, and 3 and 6 months follow-ups after the commencement of the PEMF treatment. DISCUSSION: AT is a common clinical condition affecting athletes and sedentary populations. It is essential to investigate treatment adjuncts to improve rehabilitation outcomes for these patients. This trial may demonstrate the effectiveness of PEMF in relieving pain, improving function, and restoring mechanical changes of the tendon in participants with AT.

trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT05316961. Registered on 7th April 2022.

Indexed as

Achilles TendonMusculoskeletal DiseasesTendinopathyElectromagnetic FieldsHumansPainProspective StudiesTreatment OutcomeAchilles tendinopathyEccentric exercisePulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF)Rehabilitation

Identifiers

PMID37308969
PMCPMC10258964
OpenAlexW4380324726

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.