Free Achilles tendon strain during selected rehabilitation, locomotor, jumping, and landing tasks
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Graham, David F
Barrett, Rod S
Lloyd, David G
Obst, Steven J
Kennedy, Ben
Adams, Kahlee L
Kiely, Ryan J
Hunter, Adam
Vlahovich, Nicole
Pease, David L
Shim, Vickie B
Besier, Thor F
Zheng, Minghao
Pizzolato, Claudio
et al.
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Abstract
A better understanding of the strains experienced by the Achilles tendon during commonly prescribed exercises and locomotor tasks is needed to improve efficacy of Achilles tendon training and rehabilitation programs. The aim of this study was to estimate in vivo free Achilles tendon strain during selected rehabilitation, locomotor, jumping, and landing tasks. Sixteen trained runners with no symptoms of Achilles tendinopathy participated in this study. Personalised free Achilles tendon moment arm and force-strain curve were obtained from imaging data and used in conjunction with motion capture and surface electromyography to estimate free Achilles tendon strain using electromyogram-informed neuromusculoskeletal modelling. There was a strong correspondence between Achilles tendon force estimates from the present study and experimental data reported in the literature (R2 > 0.85). The average tendon strain was highest for maximal hop landing (8.8±1.6%), lowest for walking at 1.4 m/s (3.1±0.8%) and increased with locomotor speed during running (run 3.0 m/s: 6.5±1.6%; run 5.0 m/s: 7.9±1.7%) and during heel rise exercise with added mass (BW: 5.8±1.3%; 1.2 BW: 6.9±1.7%). The peak tendon strain was highest during running (5 m/s: 13.7±2.5%) and lowest during walking (1.4 m/s: 7±1.8%). Overall findings provide a preliminary evidence base for exercise selection to maximise anabolic tendon remodelling during training and rehabilitation of the Achilles tendon.
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Journal of Applied Physiology
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LP150100905
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© 2022 American Physiological Society . This is the author-manuscript version of this paper. Reproduced in accordance with the copyright policy of the publisher. Please refer to the journal website for access to the definitive, published version.
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Biological sciences
Biomedical and clinical sciences
Health sciences
Achilles tendon
biomechanics
mechanobiology
neuromusculoskeletal modelling
personalised rehabilitation
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Devaprakash, D; Graham, DF; Barrett, RS; Lloyd, DG; Obst, SJ; Kennedy, B; Adams, KL; Kiely, RJ; Hunter, A; Vlahovich, N; Pease, DL; Shim, VB; Besier, TF; Zheng, M; Pizzolato, C; et al., Free Achilles tendon strain during selected rehabilitation, locomotor, jumping, and landing tasks, Journal of Applied Physiology, 2022