Inter trial & inter session reliability of a novel reactive step back acceleration test in athletes post Achilles...

To assess inter session and inter trial reliability of a novel acceleration test in both healthy and injured cohorts post Achilles (AT) repair.

Test - retest study.

Biomechanics laboratory.

Nineteen individuals overall. 9 injured participants post Achilles Tendon repair, 10 healthy participants.

Participants tested on two occasions, 7 days apart. The test required participants to react in a standing start to an external cue (light), and accelerate as quickly as possible through timing gates 4 m away. Spatiotemporal, kinematic and kinetic variables of the first step back during acceleration were assessed using 3D motion capture and embedded force plates.

Results showed that the majority of spatiotemporal, ankle and knee specific kinetic and kinematic variables had good (ICC >0.75) to excellent (ICC >0.9) inter session reliability in both injured and healthy groups.

This reactive sprint acceleration assessment can be reliably used by clinicians to assess ankle and knee -specific recovery post injury and overall acceleration performance.