Achilles tendon injury in kendo players in junior and senior high schools: with a focus on foot function.
Shinya Kisi, Munehito Yoshida
PMID 28265159WHAT IT FOUND
Kendo players with a history of Achilles tendon pain had more outward heel tilt and lower standing arches than players without pain.
Toe opening was also poorer in the pain group, while toe strength and big-toe motion did not differ.
Key findings
0132 of 60 Kendo players reported past Achilles tendon pain, and 28 reported no history of Achilles tendon pain.
02Players with a history of Achilles tendon pain had more outward heel tilt and smaller standing foot arches than players without that history.
03Toe opening movement was poor in the pain group, while toe muscle strength and big-toe flexibility did not differ between the pain and no-pain groups.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
The study compared players with and without a pain history without following them over time, so it cannot show whether foot alignment or toe opening differences came before or after Achilles tendon pain. Pain history and rupture history came from a questionnaire, so they depend on the players' reports. The study included 60 Kendo players from Wakayama Prefecture, so it may not apply to other athletes or age groups. The number of players in the pain group is not stated consistently across the methods, results, and tables. Some left-right differences were described as tendencies but were not significant.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the foot alignment and toe opening differences as proof that changing them prevents Achilles tendon injury. The study compared players who already had a pain history with players who did not, so it cannot show cause.