1. The heel-rise work test overestimates the performed work with 21-25% after an Achilles tendon rupture.
- Author
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Andreasen KR, Hansen MS, Bencke J, Hölmich P, and Barfod KW
- Subjects
- Achilles Tendon physiopathology, Adult, Female, Heel, Humans, Male, Middle Aged, Prospective Studies, Recovery of Function, Reproducibility of Results, Rupture physiopathology, Treatment Outcome, Achilles Tendon injuries, Achilles Tendon surgery, Exercise Test methods, Rupture rehabilitation, Rupture surgery
- Abstract
Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate concurrent validity of the heel-rise work test performed with use of the heel as a surrogate for the center of body mass., Methods: The study was a validity study performed on a prospective cohort of consecutive patients. Forty-five patients were included in the study. The heel-rise work test estimates the total work performed by repeated heel-rises until fatigue. In this study, the heel-rise work was assessed by the linear encoder and a motion capture system simultaneously for validation. The linear encoder was attached to the patient's heel and reflective marker was attached to the pelvis and heel. Student's paired t-test, linear regression analysis and Bland Altman plots were used to estimate the measurement error of the linear encoder., Results: The heel-rise work test overestimated the total work with 21.0% on the injured leg and 24.7% on the non-injured leg. Student's paired t-test showed no difference in measurement error between the limbs (n.s.). The linear regression analysis showed no difference in limb symmetry index between the two methods of heel-rise work estimation (a (slope) = 1.00, R = 0.94, p < 0.0001)., Conclusion: The heel-rise work test performed using the heel as a surrogate for center of body mass overestimates the total work with 21.0-24.7% compared to a gold standard but was able to precisely detect the relative difference between the limbs. The heel marker can be considered a valid measurement device for assessing relative differences between the limbs., Clinical Relevance: Clinical testing of injuries to the lower body using the heel-rise work test is valid when using the relative difference between the limbs., Level of Evidence: I.
- Published
- 2021
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