Evidence for orthotic treatment of the posterior heel

Systematic Reviews

Hutchins, S., Bowker, P., Geary, N. and Richards, J., 2009. The biomechanics and clinical efficacy of footwear adapted with rocker profiles—evidence in the literature. The Foot, 19(3), pp.165-170.
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Randomised Controlled Trials

van der Zwaard, B.C., Poppe, E., Vanwanseele, B., van der Horst, H.E. and Elders, P.J., 2014. Development and evaluation of a leaflet containing shoe advice: a randomized controlled trial. Family practice, 31(3), pp.267-272.
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Cohort Study

Sobhani, S., Zwerver, J., van den Heuvel, E., Postema, K., Dekker, R. and Hijmans, J.M., 2015. Rocker shoes reduce Achilles tendon load in running and walking in patients with chronic Achilles tendinopathy. Journal of science and medicine in sport, 18(2), pp.133-138.
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Clinical Practice Guidelines

Thomas, J.L., Christensen, J.C., Kravitz, S.R., Mendicino, R.W., Schuberth, J.M., Vanore, J.V., Weil Sr, L.S., Zlotoff, H.J., Bouché, R. and Baker, J., 2010. The diagnosis and treatment of heel pain: a clinical practice guideline–revision 2010. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 49(3), pp.S1-S19.
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Case Studies

Martín, F.J., Valdazo, M.D.A., Peña, G.D., Leroy, J.F., Herrero, D.H. and García, F.D., 2017. Haglund's Syndrome. Two Case Reports. Reumatología Clínica (English Edition), 13(1), pp.37-38.
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Laboratory Studies

Mündermann, A., Nigg, B.M., Stefanyshyn, D.J. and Humble, R.N., 2002. Development of a reliable method to assess footwear comfort during running. Gait & posture, 16(1), pp.38-45.
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Rowson, S., McNally, C. and Duma, S.M., 2010. Can footwear affect achilles tendon loading?. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 20(5), pp.344-349.
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Clinical Practice Guideline

Thomas, J.L., Christensen, J.C., Kravitz, S.R., Mendicino, R.W., Schuberth, J.M., Vanore, J.V., Weil Sr, L.S., Zlotoff, H.J., Bouché, R. and Baker, J., 2010. The diagnosis and treatment of heel pain: a clinical practice guideline–revision 2010. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 49(3), pp.S1-S19.
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Laboratory Studies

Chimenti, R.L., Flemister, A.S., Ketz, J., Bucklin, M., Buckley, M.R. and Richards, M.S., 2016. Ultrasound strain mapping of Achilles tendon compressive strain patterns during dorsiflexion. Journal of biomechanics, 49(1), pp.39-44.
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Dixon, S.J. and Kerwin, D.G., 2002. Variations in Achilles tendon loading with heel lift intervention in heel-toe runners. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 18(4), pp.321-331.
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Wulf, M., Wearing, S.C., Hooper, S.L., Bartold, S., Reed, L. and Brauner, T., 2016. The effect of an in-shoe orthotic heel lift on loading of the achilles tendon during shod walking. journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy, 46(2), pp.79-86.
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Randomised Controlled Trials

Mayer, F., Hirschmüller, A., Müller, S., Schubert, M. and Baur, H., 2007. The effects of short term treatment strategies over 4 weeks in Achilles tendinopathy. British journal of sports medicine.
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Munteanu, S.E., Scott, L.A., Bonanno, D.R., Landorf, K.B., Pizzari, T., Cook, J.L. and Menz, H.B., 2015. Effectiveness of customised foot orthoses for Achilles tendinopathy: a randomised controlled trial. Br J Sports Med, 49(15), pp.989-994.
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Cohort Studies

Donoghue, O.A., Harrison, A.J., Laxton, P. and Jones, R.K., 2008. Orthotic control of rear foot and lower limb motion during running in participants with chronic Achilles tendon injury. Sports biomechanics, 7(2), pp.194-205.
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Laboratory Studies

Mündermann, A., Nigg, B.M., Stefanyshyn, D.J. and Humble, R.N., 2002. Development of a reliable method to assess footwear comfort during running. Gait & posture, 16(1), pp.38-45.
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Wezenbeek, E., Willems, T.M., Mahieu, N., Van Caekenberghe, I., Witvrouw, E. and De Clercq, D., 2017. Is Achilles tendon blood flow related to foot pronation?. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 27(12), pp.1970-1977.
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Randomised Controlled Trials

Lantto, I., Heikkinen, J., Flinkkila, T., Ohtonen, P., Siira, P., Laine, V. and Leppilahti, J., 2016. A prospective randomized trial comparing surgical and nonsurgical treatments of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. The American journal of sports medicine, 44(9), pp.2406-2414.
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Cohort Studies

Aujla, R., Kumar, A. and Bhatia, M., 2016. Non-surgical treatment of Achilles rupture: Does duration in functional weight bearing orthosis matter?. Foot and Ankle Surgery, 22(4), pp.254-258.
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Ellison, P., Molloy, A. and Mason, L.W., 2017. Early Protected Weightbearing for Acute Ruptures of the Achilles Tendon: Do Commonly Used Orthoses Produce the Required Equinus?. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 56(5), pp.960-963.
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Karkhanis, S., Mumtaz, H. and Kurdy, N., 2010. Functional management of Achilles tendon rupture: A viable option for non-operative management. Foot and Ankle Surgery, 16(2), pp.81-86.
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Lim, C.S., Lees, D. and Gwynne-Jones, D.P., 2017. Functional outcome of acute achilles tendon rupture with and without operative treatment using identical functional bracing protocol. Foot & ankle international, 38(12), pp.1331-1336.
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Meta-Analyses

Lu, J., Liang, X. and Ma, Q., 2019. Early Functional Rehabilitation for Acute Achilles Tendon Ruptures: An Update Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. The Journal of foot and ankle surgery: official publication of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, 58(5), p.938.
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Randomised Controlled Trials

Lantto, I., Heikkinen, J., Flinkkila, T., Ohtonen, P., Siira, P., Laine, V. and Leppilahti, J., 2016. A prospective randomized trial comparing surgical and nonsurgical treatments of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. The American journal of sports medicine, 44(9), pp.2406-2414.
Click here for Article

Cohort Studies

Aujla, R., Kumar, A. and Bhatia, M., 2016. Non-surgical treatment of Achilles rupture: Does duration in functional weight bearing orthosis matter?. Foot and Ankle Surgery, 22(4), pp.254-258.
Click here for Article

Ellison, P., Molloy, A. and Mason, L.W., 2017. Early Protected Weightbearing for Acute Ruptures of the Achilles Tendon: Do Commonly Used Orthoses Produce the Required Equinus?. The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery, 56(5), pp.960-963.
Click here for Article

Karkhanis, S., Mumtaz, H. and Kurdy, N., 2010. Functional management of Achilles tendon rupture: A viable option for non-operative management. Foot and Ankle Surgery, 16(2), pp.81-86.
Click here for Article

Lim, C.S., Lees, D. and Gwynne-Jones, D.P., 2017. Functional outcome of acute achilles tendon rupture with and without operative treatment using identical functional bracing protocol. Foot & ankle international, 38(12), pp.1331-1336.
Click here for Article

Currently the evidence does not support use of night splints in the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy.

Expert opinion and consensus of the DEBOP panel concludes that night splints may be a reasonable, low risk treatment option, in the instance of first-step pain only, or for those persons who are unable to complete an appropriate exercise/conditioning regime for the Achilles tendon.

Meta-analyses

van der Vlist, A.C., Winters, M., Weir, A., Ardern, C.L., Welton, N.J., Caldwell, D.M., Verhaar, J.A. and de Vos, R.J., 2020. Which treatment is most effective for patients with Achilles tendinopathy? A living systematic review with network meta-analysis of 29 randomised controlled trials. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Wilson, F., Walshe, M., O’Dwyer, T., Bennett, K., Mockler, D. and Bleakley, C., 2018. Exercise, orthoses and splinting for treating Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Br J Sports Med, pp.bjsports-2017.

Systematic Reviews

Magnussen, R.A., Dunn, W.R. and Thomson, A.B., 2009. Nonoperative treatment of midportion Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, 19(1), pp.54-64.

Scott, L.A., Munteanu, S.E. and Menz, H.B., 2015. Effectiveness of orthotic devices in the treatment of Achilles tendinopathy: a systematic review. Sports Medicine, 45(1), pp.95-110.

Randomised Controlled Trials

de Jonge, S., de Vos, R.J., Van Schie, H.T., Verhaar, J.A., Weir, A. and Tol, J.L., 2010. One-year follow-up of a randomised controlled trial on added splinting to eccentric exercises in chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy. British journal of sports medicine, 44(9), pp.673-677.

De Vos, R.J., Weir, A., Visser, R.J.A., de Winter, T. and Tol, J.L., 2007. The additional value of a night splint to eccentric exercises in chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy: a randomised controlled trial. British journal of sports medicine, 41(7), pp.e5-e5.