Shockwave therapy for chronic Achilles tendinopathy: A double-blind, randomized clinical trial of efficacy

Figures & data

Figure 1. Flow diagram of patients.

Table 1. Patient demographics (mean values (SD))

	Control group	Intervention group
Age, years	46 (13)	49 (9)
Sex, M/F	8/16	12/12
Height of longitudinal arch, mm	50 (6)	49 (7)
Calcaneal angle, degrees	6 (4)	5 (3)
AOFAS score	74 (12)	70 (6.8)
Pain working	35 (29)	34 (23)
Pain walking	40 (29)	39 (23)
Pain walking upstairs	44 (29)	48 (24)
Pain running	60 (29)	69 (28)

Figure 2. AOFAS score (mean and scatter plot) before and after 4 weeks of treatment and during 12 weeks of follow-up. Blue: intervention group; red: control group.

Figure 3. Individual improvement in AOFAS score in relation to pretreatment score. There was greater improvement in the intervention group (blue diamonds) than in the control group (red squares).

Figure 4. Weekly pain score (VAS) with walking, walking upstairs, working, and running. Blue: intervention group; red: control group.

Table 2. Randomized trials comparing ESWT and placebo

RCT	No. of patients	Diagnosis^a	Significant effect
Chung 2005	60	H	no
Costa 2005	49	A	no
Gerdesmeyer 2003	144	C	yes
Gross 2002	30	C	no
Haake 2001 b	30	C	no
Haake 2003	272	P	no
Hammer 2002	49	P	no
Krischek 1998	50	P	no
Loew 1999	195	C	no
Pleiner 2004	57	C	no
Rasmussen 2007	48	A	yes
Rompe 1997	30	C	yes
		H	yes
Rompe 2001a	30	H	no
Spacca 2005	62	H	yes
Schmitt 2002	40	C	no

^a Diagnosis:

  C: Calcifying tendinopathy in the rotator cuff;

  H: Humeral epicondylitis;

  P: Plantar fasciitis;

  A: Achilles tendinopathy.