Achilles Tendon Tissue Structure in Children with Overweight and Children with Obesity

Aim: To investigate differences in Achilles tendon structure between children with overweight/obesity and children with normal weight. Methods: Twenty-two children with obesity, 10 children with overweight, and 44 children with normal weight participated in the study. BMI% was calculated. The Achilles tendon was examined using ultrasound tissue characterization (UTC) imaging to capture a three-dimensional structure of four echo-type fibers and a cross-sectional area. Results: A significantly higher percentile of echo-types II, a lower percentile of echo-types III and IV, and a lower cross-sectional area were found for children with normal weight compared with children with overweight/obesity (p < .05). Following a piecewise linear regression model according to tendon structure, a BMI percentile of 75% was found to be the most accurate cutoff point of the children into the ?unaffected? (BMI% <75%) and ?affected? tendon structure groups (BMI% ? 75%), as the children with BMI%?75% already had an Achilles tendon structure similar to that of the children with overweight/obesity. Conclusions: Tendon integrity as examined with UTC differs between children with obesity and children with normal weight. Children with a BMI percentile of ?75 already demonstrate a different tendon structure pattern compared with children with BMI percentile of <75. This may put children with obesity at a greater risk of injury and should be addressed when applying an exercise program for children with overweight/obesity.