TY - JOUR
T1 - Increased supraspinatus tendon thickness following fatigue loading in rotator cuff tendinopathy
T2 - Potential implications for exercise therapy
AU - McCreesh, Karen M.
AU - Purtill, Helen
AU - Donnelly, Alan E.
AU - Lewis, Jeremy S.
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.
PY - 2017/8/1
Y1 - 2017/8/1
N2 - Background/aim Exercise imparts a load on tendon tissue that leads to changes in tendon properties. Studies suggest that loading immediately reduces tendon thickness, with a loss of this response in symptomatic tendinopathy. No studies investigating the response of tendon dimensions to load for the rotator cuff tendons exist. This study aimed to examine the short-term effect of loading on the thickness of the supraspinatus tendon and acromiohumeral distance those with and without rotator cuff tendinopathy. Methods Participants were 20 painfree controls, and 23 people with painful rotator cuff tendinopathy. Supraspinatus tendon thickness and acromiohumeral distance were measured using ultrasound scans before, and at three time points after loading (1, 6 and 24 hours). Loading involved isokinetic eccentric and concentric external rotation and abduction. Results There was a significant increase in supraspinatus tendon thickness in the pain group at 1 (7%, †=0.38, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.57) and 6 hours (11%, †=0.53, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.71), although only the 6 hours difference exceeded minimal detectable difference. In contrast, there was a small non-significant reduction in thickness in controls. The acromiohumeral distance reduced significantly in both groups at 1 hour (controls: †=0.64, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.90; pain: †=1.1, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.33), with a larger change from baseline in the pain group. Conclusion Those diagnosed with painful supraspinatus tendinopathy demonstrated increased thickening with delayed return to baseline following loading. Rehabilitation professionals may need to take into account the impact of loading to fatigue when planning rehabilitation programmes.
AB - Background/aim Exercise imparts a load on tendon tissue that leads to changes in tendon properties. Studies suggest that loading immediately reduces tendon thickness, with a loss of this response in symptomatic tendinopathy. No studies investigating the response of tendon dimensions to load for the rotator cuff tendons exist. This study aimed to examine the short-term effect of loading on the thickness of the supraspinatus tendon and acromiohumeral distance those with and without rotator cuff tendinopathy. Methods Participants were 20 painfree controls, and 23 people with painful rotator cuff tendinopathy. Supraspinatus tendon thickness and acromiohumeral distance were measured using ultrasound scans before, and at three time points after loading (1, 6 and 24 hours). Loading involved isokinetic eccentric and concentric external rotation and abduction. Results There was a significant increase in supraspinatus tendon thickness in the pain group at 1 (7%, †=0.38, 95% CI 0.19 to 0.57) and 6 hours (11%, †=0.53, 95% CI 0.34 to 0.71), although only the 6 hours difference exceeded minimal detectable difference. In contrast, there was a small non-significant reduction in thickness in controls. The acromiohumeral distance reduced significantly in both groups at 1 hour (controls: †=0.64, 95% CI 0.38 to 0.90; pain: †=1.1, 95% CI 0.85 to 1.33), with a larger change from baseline in the pain group. Conclusion Those diagnosed with painful supraspinatus tendinopathy demonstrated increased thickening with delayed return to baseline following loading. Rehabilitation professionals may need to take into account the impact of loading to fatigue when planning rehabilitation programmes.
KW - concentric
KW - eccentric
KW - exercise rehabilitation
KW - shoulder
KW - tendinopathy
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85050318614&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000279
DO - 10.1136/bmjsem-2017-000279
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85050318614
SN - 2055-7647
VL - 3
JO - BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine
JF - BMJ Open Sport and Exercise Medicine
IS - 1
M1 - e000279
ER -