Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40535943›Full record

ArticleRoyal Society open science2025

Shear wave propagation in the Achilles subtendons is modulated by helical twist and non-uniform loading.

Jonathon Blank, Lauren Welte, Jack Martin, Darryl Thelen

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Royal Society open science, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

4 authors.

Jonathon BlankDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4155-8049
Lauren WelteDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2218-3007
Jack MartinDepartment of Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.
Darryl ThelenDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

The triceps surae is composed of the medial gastrocnemius, lateral gastrocnemius and soleus muscles. Each muscle inserts onto a subtendon that undergoes helical twist prior to insertion onto the calcaneus. Shear wave tensiometry is a non-invasive technique to gauge Achilles tendon loading, yet it is unknown whether subtendon loading can be resolved using subtendon-specific shear wave speeds. The objective of this study was to examine shear wave propagation in the lateral gastrocnemius, medial gastrocnemius and soleus subtendons of the free Achilles tendon. We expected to show that the helical arrangements of subtendons within the Achilles would modulate wave propagation, and that non-uniform loading between subtendons would elicit nonuniform wave propagation. We created a finite element model of the Achilles tendon and simulated shear wave propagation. We found that helical subtendon twist had little effect on wave propagation speed. When a two-fold stress differential was applied to the gastrocnemius and soleus subtendons, the shear wave speed-axial stress relationship was modulated by adjacent subtendon tension and the amount of overall subtendon twist. These findings enhance the basis for tensiometry in the Achilles tendon and inform causes for variability in shear wave speeds measured using shear wave tensiometry or elastography.

Indexed as

Achilles tendon anatomyfinite element modelgait simulationnoninvasive stress measurementtendon morphologytriceps surae

Identifiers

PMID40535943
PMCPMC12173486

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
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.