The Distal Free Achilles Tendon Is Longer in People with Tendinopathy than in Controls: A Retrospective Case-Control Study
Table 1
Descriptive data of case and control groups.
Insertional Achilles tendinopathy
Midportion Achilles tendinopathy
Cases
Controls
-value
Cases
Controls
-value
Sex (N)
Female
17 (68%)
17 (68%)
1
23 (56%)
23 (56%)
1
Male
8 (32%)
8 (32%)
18 (44%)
18 (44%)
Age (years)
61 (18)
55 (15)
0.323‡
55 (17)
52 (12)
0.158‡
Height (cm)
163 (11.4)
168 (8.65)
0.579‡
170 (23.0)
171 (17.8)
0.795‡
Weight (kg)
81.7 (17.2)
78.0 (14.5)
0.303‡
83.9 (16.4)
77.1 (15.8)
0.129†
Side (N)
Left
14 (56%)
12 (48%)
0.571
22 (54%)
16 (39%)
0.184
Right
11 (44%)
13 (52%)
19 (46%)
25 (61%)
Joint angle (°)
110 (9.6)
108 (8.7)
0.529‡
106 (7.7)
108 (9.3)
0.193‡
Thickness (mm)
MTJ
7.22 (1.75)
6.44 (1.20)
0.033 ‡
7.43 (2.68)
6.11 (1.52)
<0.001 †
TBJ
8.31 (1.93)
5.23 (1.40)
<0.001 ‡
5.34 (1.12)
5.06 (1.06)
0.121†
Thickest
9.76 (2.61)
6.91 (1.17)
<0.001 †
9.64 (2.87)
6.71 (1.24)
<0.001 †
CSA (mm2)
MTJ
87.5 (19.7)
72.12 (17.9)
0.003 †
99.3 (33.2)
74.7 (21.1)
<0.001 †
TBJ
203 (128)
123 (25.1)
<0.001 †
128 (44.9)
118 (30.6)
0.099†
Thickest
191 (110)
86.2 (30.8)
<0.001 †
118 (52.5)
83.5 (27.2)
<0.001 †
LOP (mm)
7.76 (12.7)
35.2 (10.5)
Note. Data were presented as median (interquartile range) or number (percentage). Cases were ankles with Achilles tendinopathy; controls were ankles without Achilles tendinopathy. Statistically significant values were indicated in bold (). Height values were missing for 11 pairs in the insertional group and 21 pairs in the midportion group. MTJ values were missing for 4 pairs in the insertional group and 12 pairs in the midportion group. Location of pathology was measured from the calcaneus to the thickest section of the tendon. MTJ = myotendinous junction. TBJ = tendon-bone junction. LOP = location of pathology. CSA = cross-sectional area. = data compared using Chi-squared test. † = data compared using Wilcoxon rank sum test. ‡ = data compared using Student’s t-test.
