ABSTRACT

Objective: To assess the gender-related differences in the elasticity and thickness of the Achilles tendon among healthy young participants.

Methods: A total of 48 volunteers, who were healthy adults between the ages of 20 and 25 years, were included in this study. The metabolic equivalent (MET) scores, tendon thickness and shear wave velocities (SWVs) were compared between the males and females.

Results: The median age of the males was 24 years and that of the females was 23 years. The mean body mass index (BMI) score was 22.22 ± 1.92 kg/m2 among the males and 21.84 ± 2.29 kg/m2 among the females. The median MET score of both the males and the females was 4. The median SWV was found to be 4.76 m/s in the males and 4.77 m/s in the females. There was no statistically significant difference in age, BMI, MET scores and SWV values between the males and the females (p = 0.349, p = 0.537, p = 0.923 and p = 0.578, respectively). The mean thickness of the Achilles tendon was found to be statistically significantly higher in the males than in the females (4.47 ± 0.41 mm and 4.03 ± 0.44 mm, respectively) (p = 0.001).

Conclusion: The effect of gender on the Achilles tendon’s elastic property is not a significant covariate in the young, healthy sample. Muscle strength may play a more important role in the Achilles tendon’s injury rather than in tendon’s elasticity.