Background
The healing processes of tendon tissue are not well understood and are reflected in the difficulty of clinical
management of this pathology. Previous in-vitro studies have demonstrated that the application of
micro-current has the ability to promote protein production (collagen) in fibroblasts and tenocytes.
In-vivo studies, using animal models, have demonstrated that tendon and ligament tissue responds particularly
well to this application. Thus, the purpose of the study was to evaluate, following the application of micro-current
for therapeutic purposes, the functional outcome in patients presenting with chronic pathology in the Achilles tendon
in comparison with the current conservative management.
Method
A prospective comparison study was undertaken utilising a blocked randomisation method. Subjects were allocated to either group A and were exposed to current clinical management or group B the experimental micro-current regime. Classification and subsequent evaluation of pathology was assessed employing clinical assessment tests, self-assessment and assessment by diagnostic ultrasound. Subjects were assessed at three; six and twelve month intervals post entry into the study.

Forty-eight subjects (48), twenty-four (24) in each group completed the study. A statistical analysis was performed, calculating the differences between the two groups and between each interval assessment.
Categorical variables were compared between the two groups using the Chi-squared test. The Mann-Whitney test was performed to assess changes in ordinal variables.

Results
Statistically significant differences were found in favour of group B, the experimental group, in four out of the five clinical markers used at the 0.1% level of significance. Baseline characteristics were similar in both groups.

Conclusion
The application of micro-current treatment to the patient presenting with chronic Achilles tendon pathology may make a significant contribution to the clinical management of the condition. Therefore, because from a biological perspective tendons tend to behave in a similar manner, these findings may reasonably extended to treat other tendons presenting with similar pathology.

Published Paper