Trial reportJournal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation2025
Dose-response effectiveness of focused shockwave therapy on ultrasonographic muscular properties in patients with stroke exhibiting ankle spasticity.
Trial report in Journal of neuroengineering and rehabilitation, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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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.
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.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Pooled it
- High-dose extracorporeal shockwave therapy restores shoulder motion in adhesive capsulitis after a single session.JSES international · 2026Article
- Optimizing Management of Morton's Neuroma: Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy in Clinical Practice.Cureus · 2026Review
- Global Trends and Hotspots in Ultrasound Imaging for Rehabilitation Research: A Bibliometric and Visualization Analysis.Journal of multidisciplinary healthcare · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundPost-stroke spasticity (PSS) in the ankle plantar flexors leads to abnormal gait, increased energy expenditure, and a higher risk of falls. Ultrasonographic measures, such as muscle fascicle length (MFL) and pennation angle (PA), provide insight into muscle changes associated with spasticity. This study aimed to investigate the dose-dependent effects of focused extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) on ultrasonographic muscle properties and clinical outcomes in patients with PSS of the ankle plantar flexors.
methodsThis post hoc analysis was based on a double-blind, randomized controlled trial investigating different ESWT doses for post-stroke ankle spasticity treatment. A total of 39 patients with PSS of the ankle plantar flexors were randomized into two groups: the double-dose ESWT group received 4,000 focused shockwave pulses per session, while the control ESWT group received 2,000 pulses per session. Both groups received four ESWT sessions over a two-week intervention period, followed by a 24-week follow-up period for outcome assessments. Outcome measures included ultrasonographic assessments of MFL, PA, and strain elastography, as well as clinical evaluations using the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), Modified Tardieu Scale (MTS), passive range of motion (PROM), Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and Barthel Index at baseline, and at 1, 4, 12, and 24 weeks post-treatment.
resultsNo significant within-group changes in PA or MFL were observed for either ESWT group over the 24-week period. Generalized estimation equation analysis showed no significant group effects on PA, MFL, or strain elastography. However, when analyzing all participants, a significant time-related improvement in MFL was identified. In the double-dose ESWT group, MFL was significantly correlated with MTS, PROM, and TUG test, while PA was significantly correlated with MAS. Given that this was a post hoc analysis, these results should be interpreted conservatively.
conclusionsWhile PA and MFL did not show significant differences between groups, the double-dose ESWT group exhibited improved clinical outcomes linked to MFL. These findings suggest that increased ESWT dosage may enhance muscle architecture and function in stroke rehabilitation.
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