1438 - Sonographic Tendon Abnormalities in Collegiate Athletes: A Three-Year Study

Objective: This study investigated the prevalence of ultrasound abnormalities in the Achilles tendon, the patellar tendon, and the plantar fascia among collegiate athletes at Division I institutions over three years to identify a large cross-section of subjects.

Design:

Design: Observational cross-sectional study. Exclusion criteria were athletes under age 18 or those who underwent prior surgeries to the tendons/fascia being studied. Setting: Three Division I Institutions. Participants: 540 collegiate athletes involved in a variety of sports participated in this study. Subjects were 57.5% female with a mean age of 19.8 (SD 1.59) years, body mass index of 23.2 (SD 2.86) kg/m², and had been competing in their sport for 9.3 (SD 3.82) years. Interventions: Bilateral ultrasound examination was performed of the Achilles tendon, patellar tendon, and plantar fascia.  They were recorded as videos and were later reviewed by a blinded sonographer. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome was the presence of sonographic abnormalities including hypoechogenicity, tendon thickening or neovascularization.

Results:

Results: Ultrasound abnormalities were identified in 36%, 7% and 2% of patellar tendons, Achilles tendons and plantar fascia respectively. Logistic regression revealed that the following variables were associated with the presence of abnormalities (all p < 0.05): patellar tendon (male sex, increased body mass index, and sport type); Achilles tendon (increased age, decreased body mass index, and sport type); and plantar fascia (increased age).

Conclusions:

Conclusion: This presentation analyzes three years of sonographic data collected from 540 student athletes at Division I Institutions. It identifies the prevalence of ultrasound abnormalities in the Achilles tendon, the patellar tendon, and plantar fascia with a goal of informing the development of preventative training and rehabilitation programs.