Sonographic evaluation of the immediate effects of eccentric heel drop exercise on Achilles tendon and gastrocnemius muscle stiffness using shear wave elastography.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Mechanical loading is crucial for muscle and tendon tissue remodeling. Eccentric heel drop exercise has been proven to be effective in the management of Achilles tendinopathy, yet its induced change in the mechanical property (i.e., stiffness) of the Achilles tendon (AT), medial and lateral gastrocnemius muscles (MG and LG) was unknown. Given that shear wave elastography has emerged as a powerful tool in assessing soft tissue stiffness with promising intra- and inter-operator reliability, the objective of this study was hence to characterize the stiffness of the AT, MG and LG in response to an acute bout of eccentric heel drop exercise.

Methods

Forty-five healthy young adults (36 males and nine females) performed 10 sets of 15-repetition heel drop exercise on thei

SUBMITTER: Leung WKC 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5520961 | biostudies-literature | 2017

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature