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Exercise Therapy and Physical Activity Modification for Patients With Sever's Disease (SDX)

5 novembre 2026 aggiornato da: Shawn Hanlon, California State University, Fullerton

Exercise Therapy and Physical Activity Modification for Patients With Sever's Disease: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Sever's disease is an overuse injury to the calcaneal growth plate caused by repetitive traction stress from the Achilles tendon in youth. Limited evidence exists to guide effective treatment for Sever's disease and disrupt short- and long-term pain and disability. Exercise therapy has the strongest evidence to promote tissue healing and is supported for other growth plate injuries. This study aims to determine if a comprehensive exercise therapy and activity modification intervention produces a clinically meaningful improvement in (Aim 1) pain and lower extremity function, (Aim 2) muscle and tendon structure, and (Aim 3) physical activity, compared to a non-exercise palliative approach for patients with Sever's disease. Differences between groups after completing 12 weeks of intervention.

Panoramica dello studio

Stato

Reclutamento

Condizioni

Intervento / Trattamento

Descrizione dettagliata

Sever's disease (calcaneal apophysitis) is a debilitating overuse injury to the calcaneal apophysis (growth plate) caused by repetitive traction stress on the growth plate. The condition occurs in 3.7 per 1,000 young patients, most commonly between ages 8-15 years old. Patients with Sever's disease experience months of heel pain with running and jumping activities, reduced quality of life, and struggle to participate in social and sports activities. Symptoms can progress from self-limiting to complete loss of function and may persist into adulthood, leading to early retirement from sport. Therefore, effective rehabilitation is essential to curb the substantial negative implications on physiological and psychological health that may continue into adulthood and contribute to healthcare utilization and global physical inactivity trends.

There is a lack of high-quality evidence to guide intervention for Sever's disease. Expert opinion maintains that pain and dysfunction resolve spontaneously when patients reach skeletal maturity. As a result, palliative interventions consisting of activity avoidance or cessation are often prescribed for symptom relief. At the tissue level, these passive strategies risk the healthy maturation of load-bearing tissues through physical activity (PA) in the most critical years of growth.Recent evidence of altered Achilles tendon structure in patients with Sever's disease suggests this condition may have lifelong implications. This underscores an immediate need to develop an evidence-based treatment strategy that supports tissue remodeling during this critical time of growth and encourages a physically active lifestyle in adulthood. Exercise therapy promotes tissue healing and is effective for patients with Achilles tendinopathy and other apophyseal injuries. Our pilot study determined that this treatment approach is feasible and safe for patients with Sever's disease and preliminary results support conducting a larger clinical trial to determine efficacy to improve clinical outcomes. We propose to conduct a 12-week randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a comprehensive tendon-loading protocol compared to a palliative control approach for treating Sever's disease. The experimental group (EXP) will receive a comprehensive intervention including a tendon-loading protocol and education on daily pain monitoring to allow continued sports participation within a tolerable pain range. The control group (CTL) will be instructed to participate in activities of daily life and sports as tolerated. Both groups will be provided gel heel cups and an activity diary. Both groups will be asked to don a wearable ActivPAL activity monitor for seven consecutive days after data collection at baseline, 6-, and 12- weeks. Our specific aims are: (1) To determine if the comprehensive intervention produces clinically meaningful improvement in symptom severity, lower extremity function, and psychosocial factors compared to palliative care over 12 weeks. (2) Evaluate changes in triceps surae and Achilles tendon morphology and mechanical properties over time. (3) Explore weekly PA volume and intensity at time of diagnosis and changes during intervention.

Tipo di studio

Interventistico

Iscrizione (Stimato)

60

Fase

  • Fase 2

Contatti e Sedi

Questa sezione fornisce i recapiti di coloro che conducono lo studio e informazioni su dove viene condotto lo studio.

Contatto studio

Luoghi di studio

  • Stati Uniti
    • California
      • Fullerton, California, Stati Uniti, 92831
        • Reclutamento
        • Kinesiology and Health Sciences Building
        • Contatto:
        • Contatto:
        • Investigatore principale:
          • Shawn L Hanlon, PhD

Criteri di partecipazione

I ricercatori cercano persone che corrispondano a una certa descrizione, chiamata criteri di ammissibilità. Alcuni esempi di questi criteri sono le condizioni generali di salute di una persona o trattamenti precedenti.

Criteri di ammissibilità

Età idonea allo studio

Da 8 anni a 17 anni (Bambino)

Accetta volontari sani

No

Sessi ammissibili allo studio

Tutto

Descrizione

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Insidious onset of heel pain over several weeks
  • Pain on palpation of the calcaneus or Achilles tendon
  • Complaint of heel pain with running or jumping activities.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Any underlying condition predisposing heel pain (i.e., spina bifida, osteogenesis imperfecta, Larsen syndrome, cerebral palsy)
  • Any other injury that limits their ability to run or jump.

Piano di studio

Questa sezione fornisce i dettagli del piano di studio, compreso il modo in cui lo studio è progettato e ciò che lo studio sta misurando.

Come è strutturato lo studio?

Dettagli di progettazione

  • Scopo principale: Trattamento
  • Assegnazione: Randomizzato
  • Modello interventistico: Assegnazione parallela
  • Mascheramento: Separare

Armi e interventi

Gruppo di partecipanti / Arm
Intervento / Trattamento
Sperimentale: Experimental Group

The experimental group will receive supervised progressive tendon-loading exercise therapy, pain-guided activity modification education, and feedback on daily activity. Both groups will receive gel heel cushion inserts for footwear.
Comportamentale: Exercise

Therapeutic Achilles-tendon loading exercise; Activity modification using a Pain Monitoring Model
Comparatore attivo: Control Group

The control group will not receive progressive tendon-loading exercise. The control group will receive the same education as the experimental group, except the control group will be asked to participate in activities as tolerated and rest as needed. The control group will be asked to record the same activity diary as the experimental group, but will not receive feedback on their daily activity. Both groups will receive gel heel cushion inserts for footwear.
Altro: Active Control

Conventional Clinician advice for pediatric overuse injury management.

Cosa sta misurando lo studio?

Misure di risultato primarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Self-reported Achilles tendon or heel pain and Symptoms with Activity
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

The Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) will be used. Survey completed via participant interview at baseline. Survey completed online by participants for follow-up visits.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

Misure di risultato secondarie

Misura del risultato
Misura Descrizione
Lasso di tempo
Single-leg Countermovement Jump Height
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

Participants will be instructed to keep their arms behind their back and jump as high as possible on a flat surface. Jump height will be measured in cm via the MuscleLab contact grid.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Single-leg Drop Countermovement Jump Height
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

The drop CMJ is performed by standing on the edge of a 20cm box, then stepping off to land and immediately rebounding as high as possible. Jump height will be measured in cm via the MuscleLab contact grid.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Total Heel-rise Work
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

The heel-rise endurance test is performed barefoot while standing on a single leg on a slant board fixed at 10 degrees of dorsiflexion. Participants will be instructed to perform as many heel-rises as possible while maintaining a straight knee and a slight forward lean, lifting the heel as high as possible, to a metronome set at 60 beats/min (30 heel-rises/min). Participants will place only two fingers from each hand on the wall to maintain balance. The test will conclude when the participant is unable maintain the test cadence, elect to stop due to fatigue or pain, or perform consistent repetitions with compensation. A linear encoder will be taped to the posterior calcaneus, which records linear displacement (heel-rise height, cm) for each repetition. Total heel-rise work will be calculated in Joules by summing the displacement for each repetition, multiplied by body mass and the force of gravity.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Achilles Tendon Cross-sectional Area
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

B-mode ultrasound imaging (GE P9 Xdclear R4.5, GE Healthcare) will be used to assess the Achilles tendon cross-sectional area in short-axis images. CSA will be measured at the thickest portion of the free Achilles tendon.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Shear Wave Velocity
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

Shear wave velocity (SWV) will be measured using Ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography. SWV is a measurement of resistance to deformation (stiffness) in tendon. Participants will be positioned prone, with legs past the mid-shank suspended over the edge of the exam table and feet resting against a custom wall-mounted slant board to fix the ankles at 15 degrees of dorsiflexion. The region of interest will be between the anterior-posterior borders of the Achilles tendon visualized on b-mode ultrasound imaging in longitudinal axis and centered over the thickest portion of the free Achilles tendon. This distance will be documented from the cephalad border of the Achilles tendon osteotendinous junction (calcaneal notch). In cases of uniform thickness, the ROI will be standardized to 2cm proximal to the calcaneal notch. The average of three trials will be analyzed.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Achilles Tendon Echogenicity
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

The percentage of white to greyscale pixels (range 0-255) is calculated within a region of interest using the LAX Achilles tendon thickness images.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Daily Step Count
Lasso di tempo: 2 weeks before randomization, Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

Number of steps taken during waking hours measured using a wearable accelerometer- and inclinometer-based sensor (ActivPAL). Participants will wear the device continuously for 7 days at each study time point.
2 weeks before randomization, Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Daily Activity Minutes
Lasso di tempo: 2 weeks before randomization, Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

Daily minutes/day spent sitting, standing, stepping, and being sedentary will be averaged for each participant across all valid days using a wearable accelerometer- and inclinometer-based sensor (ActivPAL4+). Participants will wear the device continuously for 7 days at each study time point. Additionally, daily minutes at a moderate-to-vigorous activity stepping cadence will be analyzed.
2 weeks before randomization, Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Foot and Ankle Outcome Score
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

Assesses foot and ankle-related symptoms, function, participation, and quality of life
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Tampa Scale For Kinesiophobia
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Oxford Foot And Ankle Questionnaire Child Version
Lasso di tempo: Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Baseline, 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Global Rating of Change
Lasso di tempo: 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

"Please rate the overall change in your condition from the time that you began the study until now." Measured on an 11-point likert scale, where -5 is "A very great deal worse", 0 is "No change", and +5 is "A very great deal better".
6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Global Rating of Function
Lasso di tempo: 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

"On a scale of 0 - 100, please rate the use/function of your injured body part?" 0 is No Function/Unable to Use Injured Body Part, and 100 is ull Function/ Full use of Injured Body Part.
6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Satisfaction
Lasso di tempo: 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

"How satisfied are you with the current use/function of your injured body part?" 0-10 scale, where 0 is "Not satisfied" and 10 is "Very satisfied".
6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.
Patient Acceptable Symptom Scale
Lasso di tempo: 6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

"Considering all the activities and sports you do each day, how much you hurt, and what you can do with and without pain, are you satisfied with your current condition?" Yes/No answer.
6 weeks, and 12 weeks after randomization.

Collaboratori e investigatori

Qui è dove troverai le persone e le organizzazioni coinvolte in questo studio.

Sponsor

California State University, Fullerton

Investigatori

  • Investigatore principale: Shawn L Hanlon, PhD, California State University, Fullerton

Pubblicazioni e link utili

La persona responsabile dell'inserimento delle informazioni sullo studio fornisce volontariamente queste pubblicazioni. Questi possono riguardare qualsiasi cosa relativa allo studio.

Pubblicazioni generali

Studiare le date dei record

Queste date tengono traccia dell'avanzamento della registrazione dello studio e dell'invio dei risultati di sintesi a ClinicalTrials.gov. I record degli studi e i risultati riportati vengono esaminati dalla National Library of Medicine (NLM) per assicurarsi che soddisfino specifici standard di controllo della qualità prima di essere pubblicati sul sito Web pubblico.

Studia le date principali

Inizio studio (Effettivo)

30 ottobre 2025

Completamento primario (Stimato)

1 luglio 2028

Completamento dello studio (Stimato)

1 luglio 2028

Date di iscrizione allo studio

Primo inviato

5 novembre 2026

Primo inviato che soddisfa i criteri di controllo qualità

5 novembre 2026

Primo Inserito (Effettivo)

10 novembre 2026

Aggiornamenti dei record di studio

Ultimo aggiornamento pubblicato (Effettivo)

10 novembre 2026

Ultimo aggiornamento inviato che soddisfa i criteri QC

5 novembre 2026

Ultimo verificato

1 luglio 2026

Maggiori informazioni

Termini relativi a questo studio

Parole chiave

Termini MeSH pertinenti aggiuntivi

Altri numeri di identificazione dello studio

  • HSR-25-26-54
  • #25NIP02 (Altro numero di sovvenzione/finanziamento: National Athletic Trainers' Association Research and Education Foundation)

Piano per i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)

Hai intenzione di condividere i dati dei singoli partecipanti (IPD)?

SÌ

Descrizione del piano IPD

Data will be shared upon reasonable request as decided by the Principal Investigator.

Periodo di condivisione IPD

At the conclusion of data collection (est. July 31, 2028).

Criteri di accesso alla condivisione IPD

Data will be made publicly available no later than six months after the final publication.

Tipo di informazioni di supporto alla condivisione IPD

  • STUDIO_PROTOCOLLO
  • ICF

Informazioni su farmaci e dispositivi, documenti di studio

Studia un prodotto farmaceutico regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Studia un dispositivo regolamentato dalla FDA degli Stati Uniti

No

Queste informazioni sono state recuperate direttamente dal sito web clinicaltrials.gov senza alcuna modifica. In caso di richieste di modifica, rimozione o aggiornamento dei dettagli dello studio, contattare register@clinicaltrials.gov. Non appena verrà implementata una modifica su clinicaltrials.gov, questa verrà aggiornata automaticamente anche sul nostro sito web .

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