Posture dependent ankle and foot muscle responses evoked by Achilles’ tendon vibration

Context: Proprioceptive training on compliant surfaces is used to rehabilitate and prevent ankle sprains. The ability to improve proprioceptive function via such training has been questioned. Achilles tendon vibration is used in motor-control research as a form of proprioceptive stimulus. Using measures of postural steadiness with nonlinear measures to elucidate control mechanisms, tendon vibration can be applied to investigate the underlying rationale of proprioceptive training. Objective: To test whether the effect of vibration on young adults' postural control depended on the support surface. Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Setting: Research laboratory. Patients or Other Participants: Thirty healthy adults and 10 adults with chronic ankle instability (CAI; age range = 18−40 years). Intervention(s): With eyes open, participants stood in bilateral stance on a rigid plate (floor), memory foam, and a Both Sides Up (BOSU) ball covering a force platform. We applied bilateral Achilles tendon vibration for the middle 20 seconds in a series of 60-second trials and analyzed participants' responses from previbration to vibration (pre-vib) and from vibration to postvibration (vib-post). Main Outcome Measure(s): We calculated anterior-posterior excursion of the center of pressure and complexity index derived from the area under multiscale entropy curves. Results: The excursion response to vibration differed by surface, as indicated by a significant interaction of P < .001 for the healthy group at both time points and for the CAI group vib-post. Although both groups demonstrated increased excursion from pre-vib and from vib-post, a decrease was observed on the BOSU. The complexity response to vibration differed by surface for the healthy group (pre-vib, P < .001). The pattern for the CAI group was similar but not significant. Complexity changes vib-post were the same on all surfaces for both groups. Conclusions: Participants reacted less to ankle vibration when standing on the BOSU as compared with the floor, suggesting that proprioceptive training may not be occurring. Different balance-training paradigms to target proprioception, including tendon vibration, should be explored.

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Frequency characteristics of heteronymous responses evoked by Achilles tendon vibration during quiet stance

Neuroscience Letters ◽

10.1016/j.neulet.2020.135290 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 736 ◽

pp. 135290

Author(s):

Gregg Eschelmuller ◽

Robyn L. Mildren ◽

Jean-Sébastien Blouin ◽

Mark G. Carpenter ◽

J. Timothy Inglis

Keyword(s):

Achilles Tendon ◽

Frequency Characteristics ◽

Tendon Vibration ◽

Quiet Stance

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Effect of Achilles tendon vibration on posture in children

Gait & Posture ◽

10.1016/j.gaitpost.2014.02.002 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 40 (1) ◽

pp. 32-37 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sandra M. McKay ◽

Jianhua Wu ◽

Rosa M. Angulo-Barroso

Keyword(s):

Achilles Tendon ◽

Tendon Vibration

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The age-related changes of trunk responses to Achilles tendon vibration

Neuroscience Letters ◽

10.1016/j.neulet.2009.10.041 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 467 (3) ◽

pp. 220-224 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

Diana Abrahámová ◽

Martina Mancini ◽

František Hlavačka ◽

Lorenzo Chiari

Keyword(s):

Achilles Tendon ◽

Tendon Vibration ◽

Age Related ◽

Age Related Changes

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Effects of bilateral Achilles tendon vibration on postural orientation and balance during standing

Clinical Neurophysiology ◽

10.1016/j.clinph.2007.08.013 ◽

2007 ◽

Vol 118 (11) ◽

pp. 2456-2467 ◽

Cited By ~ 46

Author(s):

Cynthia Thompson ◽

Marc Bélanger ◽

Joyce Fung

Keyword(s):

Achilles Tendon ◽

Tendon Vibration ◽

Postural Orientation

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Ipsi- and contralateral H-reflexes and V-waves after unilateral chronic Achilles tendon vibration

European Journal of Applied Physiology ◽

10.1007/s00421-013-2651-6 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 113 (9) ◽

pp. 2223-2231 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Thomas Lapole ◽

Francis Canon ◽

Chantal Pérot

Keyword(s):

Achilles Tendon ◽

Tendon Vibration

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Hoffmann reflex is increased after 14 days of daily repeated Achilles tendon vibration for the soleus but not for the gastrocnemii muscles

Applied Physiology Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.1139/h11-129 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 37 (1) ◽

pp. 14-20 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

Thomas Lapole ◽

Chantal Pérot

Keyword(s):

Achilles Tendon ◽

Motor Units ◽

Muscle Spindles ◽

Triceps Surae ◽

Control Group ◽

Tendon Vibration ◽

Hoffmann Reflex ◽

Reflex Excitability ◽

Short Period ◽

Post Test

In a previous study, Achilles tendon vibrations were enough to improve the triceps surae (TS) activation capacities and also to slightly increase TS Hoffmann reflex (H-reflex) obtained by summing up soleus (Sol) and gastrocnemii (GM and GL) EMGs. The purpose of the present study was to analyze separately Sol and GM or GL reflexes to account for different effects of the vibrations on the reflex excitability of the slow soleus and of the gastrocnemii muscles. A control group (n = 13) and a vibration group (n = 16) were tested in pre-test and post-test conditions. The Achilles tendon vibration program consisted of 1 h of daily vibration (frequency: 50 Hz) applied during 14 days. Maximal Sol, GM and GL H-reflexes, and M-waves were recorded, and their Hmax/Mmax ratios gave the index of reflex excitability. After the vibration protocol, only Sol Hmax/Mmax was enhanced (p < 0.001). The enhanced Sol reflex excitability after vibration is in favor of a decrease in the pre-synaptic inhibition due to the repeated vibrations and the high solicitation of the reflex pathway. Those results of a short period of vibration applied at rest may be limited to the soleus because of its high density in muscle spindles and slow motor units, both structures being very sensitive to vibrations.

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Tender Spot Injection Therapy for Ankle and Foot Pain

Acupuncture in Medicine ◽

10.1136/aim.15.1.19 ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 15 (1) ◽

pp. 19-22 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

I H J Bourne

Keyword(s):

Soft Tissue ◽

Achilles Tendon ◽

Tissue Damage ◽

Foot Pain ◽

Case Histories ◽

Normal Length ◽

Relieve Pain ◽

Long Acting ◽

Tender Spot ◽

Ankle And Foot

Pain of the ankle and foot following injury or surgery indicates soft tissue damage to muscle, tendons, periosteum or ligaments. Injection of a long acting corticosteroid such as triamcinolone with lignocaine to tender spots will relieve pain. Softened collagen at the site of injection will stretch, and heal to normal length and strength. However, care must be taken not to inject close to tendon, since softening may induce rupture. There is particular danger of this in the Achilles tendon. Case histories are given showing the tender spot injection sites used, and composite diagrams of all 69 tender spots found in a series of 28 patients with ankle or foot pain are illustrated.

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Subtle cavus foot

Scientific Journal of the Foot & Ankle ◽

10.30795/scijfootankle.2018.v12.760 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 12 (2) ◽

pp. 112-116

Author(s):

Adilson Sanches de Oliveira Junior ◽

Alexandre Leme Godoy dos Santos ◽

Caio Augusto de Souza Nery ◽

José Felipe Marion Alloza ◽

Marcelo Pires Prado

Keyword(s):

Achilles Tendon ◽

Plantar Fasciitis ◽

Ankle Instability ◽

Case Series ◽

Clear Correlation ◽

Lateral Side ◽

Peroneal Tendon ◽

Medial Side ◽

Cavus Foot ◽

Ankle And Foot

Objective: To identify the prevalence of ankle and foot disorders in patients with subtle cavus foot (SCF). Methods: This was a retrospective case series. Patients with lower limb disorders who upon clinical examination were also diagnosed with SCF were evaluated. Patients diagnosed with disorders that could lead to this deformity, such as trauma sequelae and neurological disorders, and those with the presence of cavovarus foot with severe deformity were excluded. Correlations between ankle and foot disorders and the presence of SCF were evaluated. Results: A total of 119 patients (67 males/52 females) were evaluated, totalling 238 feet. One hundred forty-one feet had subtle cavus, and 97 feet had physiological alignment. Of the 141 SCF, 76 feet were right feet, and 65 were left feet. Twenty-two patients had bilateral SCF. One undred forty complaints were identified, which led to 18 diagnoses: ankle instability (37 cases/26.2%), peroneal tendon tendinopathy (31 cases/22.0%), plantar fasciitis (18 cases/12.8%), Achilles tendon tendinopathy (10 cases/7.1%), osteochondral talar lesion (7 cases/5.0%), mechanical metatarsalgia (6 cases/4.3%), hallux sesamoid disorders (5 cases/3.5%), Morton’s neuroma (5 cases/3.5%), hallux valgus (5 cases/3.5%), pain in the lateral side of the foot (4 cases/2.8%), anterior impact (3 cases/2.1%), pain in the medial side of the tibia (2 cases/1.4%), plantar plate injury (2 cases/1.4%) and other disorders with a prevalence <1%. Conclusion: We found a clear correlation between SCF and acute and chronic ankle instability, peroneal and Achilles tendon tendinopathy and plantar fasciitis. Level of Evidence IV; Therapeutic Studies; Case Series.

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