Achilles Tendon Rupture - Intervention With Electrical Stimulation
For patients and families
In plain language
An automatic summary of structured registry data. It is an orientation aid, not a substitute for the official protocol or a physician assessment.
- What is being studied
- The protocol lists: Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation.
- Who it may be relevant to
- Registry conditions: Achilles Tendon Ruptures, Immobilization, Venous Thromboembolism (VTE), Muscle Atrophy. Basic parameters: 18 years — 75 years · All.
- What needs checking
- Age, condition and sex are only basic indicators. Prior treatment, laboratory values and other mandatory requirements appear in the eligibility criteria below.
- Where it takes place
- Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
- Next step
- Save the trial, show it to the treating physician, and confirm current recruitment with the study center. Costs, documents and travel →
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Official title
Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture - Intervention With Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
Overview
Acute Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) is an injury that is commonly associated with complications, such as blood clotting, muscle loss and tendon lengthening, all of which affect the long-term outcome and return to sports. These complication are related to the treatment of ATR with lower leg immobilization in a boot. The investigators aim to demonstrate that an intervention with calf neuromuscular electrical stimulation (C-NMES) during leg immobilization after ATR can 1) reduce blood clots, 2) lower the degree of muscle loss, 3) decrease tendon lengthening and 4) improve long-term outcome.
Detailed description
The participants will be divided by chance into two separate groups that compare standard treatment (control group) with C-NMES in addition to standard treatment (intervention group).
A total of 220 patients with diagnosed ATR will be included. The control group will be treated according to the standard regimen with a lower leg immobilization in a stable orthosis during eight weeks. The intervention group will during the eight weeks lower limb immobilization receive an additional intervention with C-NMES underneath the orthosis.
The total number of blood clots, venous thromboembolism incidence, up to mobilization, is defined as deep venous thrombosis (leg blood clots) assessed by screening duplex ultrasound, or pulmonary embolism (lung blood clots). Calf muscle loss, tendon length, and weight-bearing, will be studied at two and eight weeks. At six weeks and 12 months, validated self-reported function (ATRS) and self-reported health, return to sports, calf muscle function, and tendon length will be recorded for comparison between the two treatment groups. Secondary outcomes are coagulation factors, healing biomarkers and cardiovascular biomarkers.
The results of this study should contribute to an improved treatment regimen after ATR that allows for a safer and quicker return to activity and sports. Adjuvant NMES can readily be implemented in daily healthcare to lower complication risks, improve healing, reduce healthcare costs and improve return to sports.
Interventions
- Device Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation
Patients will be instructed to apply the wearable NMES-therapy continuously, both day and night at least 10h/daily.
Primary outcome measures
- Incidence of Venous thromboembolic events (VTE) [Time frame: 8 weeks]
Secondary outcome measures (12)
- Patient function [Time frame: 12 months]
- Callus production [Time frame: 8 weeks]
- Treatment adherence [Time frame: 8 weeks]
- Adverse events [Time frame: 8 weeks]
- Fasting blood glucose [Time frame: 8 weeks]
- Cholesterol levels [Time frame: 8 weeks]
- Blood pressure [Time frame: 8 weeks]
- Muscle atrophy [Time frame: 12 months]
- Tendon lengthening [Time frame: 12 months]
- Patient-reported outcome - ATRS [Time frame: 12 months]
- Patient-reported outcome - EuroQol (EQ-5D-5L) [Time frame: 12 months]
- Blood-flow quantification [Time frame: 8 weeks]
Eligibility criteria
Inclusion criteria
- Diagnosed with acute unilateral Achilles tendon rupture
- Included within 10 days after injury.
Exclusion criteria
- Inability to give consent to participate,
- ongoing treatment with anticoagulants,
- known allergy to contrast agents,
- planned follow-up at another hospital,
- inability to follow instructions,
- known renal failure,
- heart failure with pitting edema,
- thrombophlebitis,
- thromboembolic disease within the last 3 months,
- previous surgery of the tendon,
- known malignancy,
- hemophilia,
- pregnancy,
- treatment with high doses of acetylsalicylic acid.
Criteria are shown verbatim from the registry (in English). Final eligibility is always assessed by the study center.
Healthy volunteers: No
Study design
- Allocation
- Randomized
- Model
- Parallel assignment
- Masking
- Single blind
- Primary purpose
- Prevention
Study locations
Center list to be confirmed — check the primary protocol.
Publications
- Alharbi A, Li J, Womack E, Farrow M, Yarar-Fisher C. The Effect of Lower Limb Combined Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation on Skeletal Muscle Signaling for Glucose Utilization, Myofiber Distribution, and Metabolic Function after Spinal Cord Injury. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Oct 21;20(20):6958. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20206958. PMID 37887696
- Hajibandeh S, Hajibandeh S, Antoniou GA, Scurr JR, Torella F. Neuromuscular electrical stimulation for the prevention of venous thromboembolism. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2017 Nov 21;11(11):CD011764. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD011764.pub2. PMID 29161465
- Aufwerber S, Heijne A, Edman G, Silbernagel KG, Ackermann PW. Does Early Functional Mobilization Affect Long-Term Outcomes After an Achilles Tendon Rupture? A Randomized Clinical Trial. Orthop J Sports Med. 2020 Mar 16;8(3):2325967120906522. doi: 10.1177/2325967120906522. eCollection 2020 Mar. PMID 32206673
- Aufwerber S, Svedman S, Silbernagel KG, Ackermann PW. Long-term patient outcome is affected by deep venous thrombosis after Achilles tendon rupture repair. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. 2024 Aug;32(8):2184-2193. doi: 10.1002/ksa.12240. Epub 2024 May 26. PMID 38796725
- Svedman S, Marcano A, Ackermann PW, Fellander-Tsai L, Berg HE. Acute Achilles tendon ruptures between 2002-2021: sustained increased incidence, surgical decline and prolonged delay to surgery-a nationwide study of 53 688 ruptures in Sweden. BMJ Open Sport Exerc Med. 2024 Jul 18;10(3):e001960. doi: 10.1136/bmjsem-2024-001960. eCollection 2024. PMID 39040046
Identifiers
NCT: NCT06601088 · C-NMES-ATR