High-Volume Injections Not Beneficial in Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy

FRIDAY, Oct. 30, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- For adults with midportion Achilles tendinopathy, high-volume injections with or without corticosteroids do not improve pain or disability compared with sham at 12 months, according to a study published online Oct. 28 in The BMJ.Peter Malliaras, Ph.D., from Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues examined the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of high-volume injections with and without corticosteroids versus sham injection for midportion Achilles tendinopathy in a randomized trial involving 192 adults. Participants were randomly assigned to sham, high-volume injection without corticosteroid, or high-volume injection with corticosteroid (64, 63, and 65 individuals, respectively); all received the same exercise program, education, and activity modification advice.The primary clinical outcome was pain and disability using the validated Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A). The researchers observed no clear differences between sham and high-volume injection either with or without corticosteroids or between the two injections at 12 months. For the comparison between injections, the point estimate was closest to the target difference, favoring the arm without steroids. At intermediate time points, the only differences on VISA-A were a benefit for high-volume injection with corticosteroids versus sham at six weeks (9.2) and worse outcomes for high-volume injection with versus without corticosteroids at 26 weeks (−8.6). High-volume injection with corticosteroids was less costly than sham, with similar effectiveness based on quality-adjusted life-years. There were no serious trial-related adverse events."The clinical data do not support routine use for midportion Achilles tendinopathy," the authors write.Abstract/Full TextEditorial.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

High-Volume Injections Not Beneficial in Midportion Achilles Tendinopathy

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