From 25th to 27th May, Club Atlético de Madrid’s stadium, Civitas Metropolitano, hosted the 31st edition of the Isokinetic Conference 2024, a congress that brings together the best specialists in the world of sports science and football medicine.
A meeting organised by Isokinetic Medical Group together with FIFA, in which Dr. Gil Rodas, medical manager of Barça Innovation Hub, shared his experiences and knowledge on sports medicine in his two speeches “Expanded mesenchymal stem cells in Football Medicine” and “The ‘sportomics’ concept in injury risk reduction: FC Barcelona experience”.
Dr. Josep Vergés, President and CEO of the OAFI Foundation, presented the TriAnkle project and explained the psychosocial and individual factors that affect the quality of life of athletes with Achilles tendinopathy, explaining how, through 3D bioprinting of tissues, these injuries can be recovered.
Achilles tendinopathy is a prevalent joint condition characterised by functional restrictions and pain, representing one of the most common injuries and a common source of disability with a remarkably poor prognosis. A combination of multiple factors can cause Achilles tendinopathy, these factors can be intrinsic (i.e. biomechanical abnormality, inflammatory arthropathy, antibiotics, diabetes) or risk factors such as excessive mechanical overload. “The interaction of these multiple factors underscores the complexity of the disease and the need for comprehensive assessment and treatment strategies. Beyond the physical implications, Achilles tendinopathy has profound effects on patients’ overall well-being, negatively impacting social relationships and psychological health, leading to a reduction in the individual’s quality of life,” explained Dr. Vergés.
The President of OAFI, presented the conclusions of what is the first systematic review of quality of life in patients with Achilles tendinopathy. ” The review reveals a substantial impact on quality of life comparable to that of other musculoskeletal diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia. Specific individual factors, such as gender, age and physical activity, influenced the quality of life of patients with Achilles tendinopathy. Interventions such as exercise, education and surgical treatment were associated with improved quality of life. In addition, a personalised approach, an understanding of each patient’s social circumstances and lifestyle by healthcare professionals were identified as crucial aspects to improve quality of life in this patient population. Further research is recommended to better understand the factors contributing to poor quality of life in patients with Achilles tendinopathy,” explained Dr. Vergés.
