Description

At their first visit, participants will read and sign the consent form. They will then fill self-report questionnaires about their pain (using the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment for Achilles tendinopathy score and visual analog scale) and its impact on their activities, and they will be questioned on their training habits. Then, participants will be asked to run on a treadmill for five minutes at a comfortable speed. During the run, video will be recorded to evaluate to cadence and the foot contact angle. Finally, an ultrasound of Achilles tendon will be performed to evaluate thickness, area, echogenicity and inflammation of the tendon. All the images will be revised by a physician qualified in diagnostic ultrasound and the tendinopathy will be graded according to Matthew and al. model.

One, two and three months after their initial visit, participants will receive a questionnaire by email to quantify their pain. Moreover, three months after their initial visit, participants will come back in person to the laboratory. Information about their pain, training and treatment will be collected and a second ultrasound analysis will be performed.

Statistical analysis: Baseline data will be compared using independent t-test or a Mann-Whitney U test. Significant variables in the univariate analysis will be considered as potential predictor variables. Logistic analysis regression will then be performed to identify predictive factors for pain chronicity.