Instrument Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization Alters the Material and Mechanical Properties of Healthy, Shortened Achilles Tendons: a Within-subject Randomized Controlled Study

Tendons play a critical role in transferring muscle-generated forces to the skeleton for locomotion, but they are not solely force conveyors. Tendons also function as both mechanical buffers and power amplifiers. In their buffering role, tendons delay and slow muscle fascicle lengthening to dissipate energy during rapid negative work (i.e. eccentric contractions). However, it is in their role as power amplifiers that tendons have received most attention. Acting in a spring-like manner, tendons store elastic strain energy when stretched and return it when released to reduce the energy cost of motion. The amount of energy stored depends on a tendon's mechanical properties and, in particular, its stiffness.

Stiffness represents the ability of a structure to resist deformation and is dependent upon both the quality of material present (i.e. amount and type) and how it is arranged (i.e. structure). Stiffer tendons may promote an improved ability to transmit muscle-generated forces resulting in improved performance. A stiffer tendon may also protect against injury. Tendons experience failure in a relatively set strain (i.e. elongation) range. A stiffer tendon experiences less strain per unit of applied force and, thus, can withstand greater load before reaching damage-inducing strains.

It is now accepted tendons adapt their stiffness (among other properties) to their environment. Tendon stiffness declines with disuse, pathology (i.e. tendinopathy) and aging. Conversely, systematic reviews have demonstrated tendon stiffness increases in response to heightened levels of physical activity, with a preference toward high intensity loads (i.e. >70% maximum voluntary contraction or repetition maximum). However, beyond physical activity there are limited clinically available modalities to positively influence tendon stiffness. For instance, vibration and stretching interventions have not been shown to impact tendon stiffness or even cause it to decline.

A modality that may modulate tendon stiffness is instrument assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM). IASTM is a popular alternative to traditional manual therapy techniques and involves the use of specialized hard tools to apply controlled, localized mechanical loads to soft connective tissues. Initial preclinical animal studies reported IASTM altered fibroblast recruitment and activation after chemically-induced tendon injury, and improved tissue perfusion and mechanical recovery following surgically-induced ligament injury. Clinically, there is emerging but limited and low-quality evidence of the efficacy of IASTM in improving range of motion, pain and patient-reported outcomes. With regards to tissue stiffness, studies have reported single IASTM treatments targeting muscle to have no effect on musculotendinous shear modulus or stiffness, and to reduce or have no effect on passively assessed joint stiffness. To our knowledge, no study has reported a beneficial effect of IASTM on tendon mechanical and material properties, with Ikeda et al. reporting that IASTM self-administered over 6-weeks to the posterior lower leg had no impact on Achilles tendon (AT) shear modulus assessed using shear wave elastography.

The primary aim of the current study is to explore the effect of IASTM administered to the posterior lower leg and Achilles tendon twice per week for 4 weeks on the material and mechanical properties of the tendon in healthy subjects with reduced tendon length. A secondary aim is to investigate the impact of IASTM applied to the AT on range of ankle dorsiflexion, assessed using the weight bearing lunge ('lunge') test. The study will implement a within-subject controlled design wherein one leg received IASTM and the contralateral leg served as a non-IASTM treated internal control. Both sides will be equally exposed to warm-up and stretching activities within each treatment session.