Cumulative incidence of achilles tendon rupture and tendinopathy in male former elite athletes.
OBJECTIVE
To study the cumulative incidence of Achilles tendon rupture and tendinopathy among former top-level athletes.


METHODS
Historical cohort study.


METHODS
Finland.


METHODS
Male former elite athlete cohort members (n = 785; median age, 69 years when responding to the questionnaire; range, 54-97) and their matched controls (n = 416; median age, 68 years; range, 56-94).


METHODS
Questionnaire-reported Achilles tendinopathy and tendon rupture diagnosed by physicians before the age of 45 years and within the subjects' lifetimes.


RESULTS
Cumulative incidence of Achilles tendinopathy before the age of 45 was high for middle and long-distance runners (adjusted odds ratio, 31.2 compared with controls; P < 0.001), and cumulative incidence of Achilles tendon rupture was high for sprinters (odds ratio, 14.9; P < 0.001).


CONCLUSIONS
Achilles tendon problems seem to constitute clinically significant and common problems in specific sports.
Kujala
Urho M
UM
Department of Health Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland. urho.kujala@sport.jyu.fi
Sarna
Seppo
S
Kaprio
Jaakko
J
D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000293:injuries*; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001265:Athletic Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011336:Probability; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012421:Rupture / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors