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During 1990-1994, 1.2% of all sports injuries that required emergency care at the University Hospital of Umeå were caused by badminton. In 90.7% of the cases the patients described themselves as recreational players or beginners. There were 51.3% minor injuries (AIS 1) and 48.7% moderate injuries (AIS 2). The lower extremities were affected in 92.3% of the cases. Achilles tendon ruptures (34.6%) and ankle sprains and fractures (29.5%) were the most frequent. By the time of the follow-up (10-69 months), 52.6% of the players still had symptoms from the injuries and 39.5% had not been able to return to playing badminton. Our data indicate the importance of adequate treatment and rehabilitation after acute badminton injuries.

All patients with badminton-related acute Achilles tendon ruptures registered during 1990 to 1994 at the University Hospital of Umeå were retrospectively followed up using a questionnaire. Thirty-one patients (mean age, 36.0 years), 27 men and 4 women, were included. Thirty patients (97%) described themselves as recreational players or beginners. The majority of the injuries (29 of 31, 94%) happened at the middle or end of the planned game. Previous local symptoms had been noticed by five patients (16%). Long-term results showed that patients treated with surgery had a significantly shorter sick leave absence than patients treated without surgery (50 versus 75 days). There was no obvious selection favoring any treatment modality. None of the surgically treated patients had reruptures, but two reruptures occurred in the nonsurgically treated group. There seemed to be fewer remaining symptoms and a higher sports activity level after the injury in the surgically treated group. Our results indicate that local muscle fatigue may interfere with strength and coordination. Preventive measures such as specific treatment of minor injuries and adequate training of strength, endurance, and coordination are important. Our findings also indicate that surgical treatment and careful postoperative rehabilitation is of great importance among badminton players of any age or sports level with Achilles tendon rupture.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of painful conditions in the Achilles tendon region in elite badminton players. The study group consisted of 66 players in the Swedish elite division (highest level) in badminton, 41 men (mean age, 24.4 years) and 25 women (mean age, 21.9 years). Twenty-one players (32%) reported the occurrence of a disabling painful condition in the Achilles tendon region during the previous 5 years, and 11 players (17%) had an ongoing painful condition. A majority of the painful conditions (12 of 21, or 57%) were described as involving the midportion of the Achilles tendon. The players who had a painful condition reported a significantly higher weekly training load as measured by the number of hours spent in total training, badminton training, and endurance and strength training. There were no differences in age, sex, and body mass index between the players with and without painful conditions in the Achilles tendon region.

Overuse injuries are the most frequent type in badminton, generally localized in the legs. An earlier study found 32% of young Swedish elite badminton players to have experienced disabling pain in the Achilles tendon region during the previous 5 years. The present investigation examined the prevalence and characteristics of painful conditions in the Achilles tendon region in 32 middle-aged competitive badminton players by means of questionnaire and physiotherapist's examination. Pain in the Achilles tendon region was reported by 44%, either presently or during the past 5 years, generally localized in the middle portion of the tendon. Symptoms had lasted 2 weeks-1 year (96 days). On the competition days 22% of the reported pain currently in the region. Age was found to be correlated to Achilles tendon pain, but there was no relationship between symptoms of pain and body mass index, gender, training quantity, or years of playing badminton. In conclusion, Achilles tendon pain seems to be relatively common among Swedish middle-aged competitive badminton players, particularly in the older ones.

Injuries involving the Achilles tendon and manifested as chronic tendon pain are common, especially among recreational athletes. In a pilot study on a small group of patients with chronic painful midportion Achilles tendinosis, eccentric calf-muscle training was shown to give good clinical results. The aim of this prospective study was to investigate if the previously achieved good clinical results could be reproduced in a larger group of patients, and also to investigate the effects of eccentric calf-muscle training in patients with chronic insertional Achilles tendon pain. Seventy-eight consecutive patients, having chronic painful Achilles tendinosis at the mid-portion (2–6 cm level) in a total of 101 tendons (55 unilateral and 23 bilateral), and thirty consecutive patients with chronic insertional Achilles tendon pain in 31 tendons (29 unilateral and one bilateral) were treated with eccentric calf-muscle training for 12 weeks. Most patients were recreational athletes. Evaluation of the amount of tendon pain during activity was recorded on a visual analogue scale (VAS), before and after treatment. In 90 of the 101 Achilles tendons (89%) with chronic painful mid-portion Achilles tendinosis, treatment was satisfactory and the patients were back on their reinjury activity level after the 12-week training regimen. In these patients, the amount of pain during activity, registered on the VAS-scale (mean±SD), decreased ignificantly from 66.8±19.4 to 10.2±13.7. On the contrary, in only ten of the tendons (32%) with chronic insertional Achilles tendon pain was treatment satisfactory, with a significant decrease on the VAS-scale (mean±SD), from 68.3±7.0 to 13.3±13.2. Our conclusion is that treatment with eccentric calf-muscle training produced good clinical results in patients with chronic painful mid-portion Achilles tendinosis, but not in patients withchronic insertional Achilles tendon pain.

In this investigation, we show the presence of both free glutamate (microdialysis) and glutamate NMDAR1 receptors (immunohistochemical analyses of tendon biopsies), in tendons from patients with chronic Achilles tendon pain (Achilles tendinosis) and in controls (pain-free tendons). The NMDAR1 immunoreaction was usually confined to acetylcholinesterase-positive structures, implying that the reaction is present in nerves. Glutamate is a potent pain mediator in the human central nervous system, and in animals it has been shown that peripherally administered glutamate NMDA receptor antagonists diminish the response to formalin-induced nociception. Our present finding of glutamate NMDA receptors in human Achilles tendons might have implications for pain treatment.