The ASPIRE Trial: AchilleS tendinoPathy Treated With cortIcosteRoid injEctions

Achilles tendinopathy is a common and often persistent tendon disorder associated with pain, impaired function, and reduced participation in physical activities. Standard care consists of education, load management advice, and progressive calf-strengthening exercises, yet about half of patients remain symptomatic. Corticosteroid injections are frequently used in clinical practice, but evidence on long-term efficacy and safety remains inconclusive. The ASPIRE trial is a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase III trial evaluating whether 1-3 ultrasound-guided peritendinous corticosteroid injections added to standard care are safe and more effective than placebo injections plus standard care in adults with chronic midportion Achilles tendinopathy. The primary outcomes are change in VISA-A score over 1 year and incidence of full-thickness Achilles tendon rupture during 1-year follow-up.

NCT Number	NCT07650396
Lead Sponsor	Erasmus Medical Center Collaborators: ZonMw: The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, Amsterdam UMC, UMC Utrecht, Haaglanden Medical Centre, Gelderse Vallei Hospital, Isala, Bergman Clinics, Dutch Association of Sports Medicine (VSG), Dutch Orthopaedic Association (NOV), Dutch College of General Practitioners (NHG Musculoskeletal Care), International Trial Advisory Board, Patient Panel
Conditions	Achilles Tendinopathy (AT)
Enrollment	276 participants
Start Date	2026-06-03
Primary Completion	2027-12-31 (estimated)
Study Completion	2028-10-31 (estimated)
Updated on ClinicalTrials.gov	2026-06-18