Conservative Management, Percutaneous or Open Repair of Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture: A Retrospective Study

2005 ◽  
Vol 50 (4) ◽  
pp. 160-165 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Miller ◽  
S Waterston ◽  
J Reaper ◽  
V Barrass ◽  
N Maffulli

Background and Aims: To ascertain the differences in patients' perceived outcomes between conservative, percutaneous or open repair of Achilles tendon ruptures. Methods: We studied 111 patients who had been managed for a unilateral closed Achilles tendon rupture. We excluded patients with open Achilles tendon lesions, patients whose tear had occurred more than seven days from operation, patients with diabetes, inflammatory disease, systemic corticosteroids or fluoroquinolones. Patients were contacted by telephone and asked to answer a questionnaire. Results: There was no difference in effects on working life, patient satisfaction, sports performance, muscle strength, swelling and fear of re-rupture. Pain on weight bearing and cramps were significantly more frequent in the patients managed conservatively. Re-rupture and complication rates were comparable to published rates. Conclusion: Treatment should be individualised according to the demands and health of the patient.

2018 ◽  
Vol 7 (10) ◽  
pp. 561-569 ◽  
Author(s):  
X. Yang ◽  
H. Meng ◽  
Q. Quan ◽  
J. Peng ◽  
S. Lu ◽  
...  

ObjectivesThe incidence of acute Achilles tendon rupture appears to be increasing. The aim of this study was to summarize various therapies for acute Achilles tendon rupture and discuss their relative merits.MethodsA PubMed search about the management of acute Achilles tendon rupture was performed. The search was open for original manuscripts and review papers limited to publication from January 2006 to July 2017. A total of 489 papers were identified initially and finally 323 articles were suitable for this review.ResultsThe treatments of acute Achilles tendon rupture include operative and nonoperative treatments. Operative treatments mainly consist of open repair, percutaneous repair, mini-open repair, and augmentative repair. Traditional open repair has lower re-rupture rates with higher risks of complications. Percutaneous repair and mini-open repair show similar re-rupture rates but lower overall complication rates when compared with open repair. Percutaneous repair requires vigilance against nerve damage. Functional rehabilitation combining protected weight-bearing and early controlled motion can effectively reduce re-rupture rates with satisfactory outcomes. Biological adjuncts help accelerating tendon healing by adhering rupture ends or releasing highly complex pools of signalling factors.ConclusionThe optimum treatment for complete rupture remains controversial. Both mini-open repair and functional protocols are attractive alternatives, while biotherapy is a potential future development. Cite this article: X. Yang, H. Meng, Q. Quan, J. Peng, S. Lu, A. Wang. Management of acute Achilles tendon ruptures: A review. Bone Joint Res 2018;7:561–569. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.710.BJR-2018-0004.R2.


Author(s):  
Luca Vaienti ◽  
Giuseppe Cottone ◽  
Giovanna Zaccaria ◽  
Emanuele Rampino Cordaro ◽  
Francesco Amendola

The aim of this single-center, retrospective study is to demonstrate the effectiveness of distally based peroneus brevis muscle flap as first therapeutic option for infections after Achilles tendon open repair. We retrospectively analyzed 14 consecutive patients with complete Achilles tendon rupture and developing surgical site infection after an attempt of open surgical repair. Every patient was reconstructed with distally base peroneus brevis muscle flap. The primary outcome was the return to work and the initiation of full weight-bearing. Secondary outcomes were complication rate and time needed to return to work. A review of the literature was conducted to better define the actual standard treatment. Each patient returned to work. No flap necrosis occurred. Two minor healing delays and one hematoma were reported. Median time to wound healing was 17 days (interquartile range [IQR] = 13-20). Median time to full weight-bearing was 52 days (IQR = 47-55). Median follow-up (FU) was 21 months. Distally based peroneus brevis flap is a safe treatment for surgical site infections after Achilles tendon rupture repair. Patients regained full weight-bearing after a median time of 52 days from the surgical reconstruction. No major complications were observed. This flap clearly emerges as first reconstructive option for complications after surgery of Achilles tendon region.


2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 2473011420S0040
Author(s):  
Ryan G. Rogero ◽  
Daniel Corr ◽  
Andrew Fisher ◽  
Joseph T. O’Neil ◽  
Daniel J. Fuchs ◽  
...  

Category: Trauma; Ankle; Hindfoot; Sports Introduction/Purpose: Given the lack of consensus regarding the optimal surgical treatment for acute Achilles tendon ruptures, identifying techniques to maximize functional outcomes is crucial. Augmentation of Achilles tendon repair with the plantaris tendon is an established surgical technique that is thought to improve outcomes by reinforcing the repair site as well as decreasing soft tissue adhesions, though no studies have specifically looked at outcomes of its use. The purpose of this study is to compare the outcomes of acute Achilles tendon repairs managed with and without plantaris tendon augmentation. Methods: A retrospective review of patients undergoing open repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures with a single fellowship- trained foot & ankle surgeon from 2010-2016 was performed. Patients <18 years of age, those whose procedures were >21 days from the date of injury, or whose repair was augmented with a flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer or V-Y advancement were excluded. Operative report review determined if repair included plantaris augmentation. Augmentation involved weaving the tendon through the Achilles above and below the rupture site creating a box type biologic augmentation. Patients were contacted at >=2 years postoperatively to complete the Foot & Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM)-Activities of Daily Living (ADL) and -Sports subscales, visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, as well as surveyed regarding their satisfaction with the surgical outcome using a 5- point Likert scale. Mann-Whitney U, Chi-squared and Fisher’s exact tests were performed to compare patient variables and postoperative outcomes. Results: One hundred twenty-eight patients undergoing repair of an acute Achilles tendon rupture were included, including 59 (46.1%) with plantaris tendon augmentation and 69 (53.9%) without. The two patient cohorts did not differ in any preoperative patient variables (p>0.0892). Patients with and without plantaris augmentation did not experience any significant difference in the rate of postoperative complications (p=1.000), including a 0% re-rupture rate in each group. Additionally, at an average follow-up of 57.1 months, the groups did not differ in FAAM-ADL score (p=0.7116), FAAM-Sports score (p=0.4024), the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) as part of the FAAM-Sports subscale (p=0.2572), VAS pain (p=0.1885), or outcome satisfaction (p=0.7317). Conclusion: Our study demonstrates that plantaris tendon augmentation does not improve patient functional outcomes following acute Achilles tendon repair, but also is not associated with increased complication rates. Further studies, including either higher-level prospective, randomized clinical studies or biomechanical evaluation of the technique, are indicated to justify this adjunctive procedure. [Table: see text]


2000 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 469-474 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard A. Zell ◽  
Vincent M. Santoro

Twenty-five patients who had an acute Achilles tendon rupture were managed with an augmented repair using the gastrocnemius-soleus fascia. All patients healed their repair and there were no re-ruptures. There was one infection. Augmented repair allowed early functional recovery as evidenced by full ankle motion by four to eight weeks, full unassisted weight bearing by three weeks, cessation of braces by four weeks, and return to work by one to six weeks post-operatively. Augmentation adds a sufficient amount of collagen to allow early range of motion and weight bearing without re-rupture. Disadvantages included a long incision, soft tissue prominence, one infection, and sural nerve injury.


2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 22-29
Author(s):  
B. Kacprzak ◽  
M. Styk ◽  
N. Siuba-Jarosz

In our paper, we would like to present two cases of treatment of the Achilles tendon ruptures by means of surgical V-Y technique, and implementation of immediate rehabilitation and weight-bearing. V-Y plasty on ruptured tendons was performed. The continuity of the tendon was restored. The sheath of the tendon was stitched together. Dressing was put on; the foot was immobilized in a Walker-type shoe in pes equinus with heel pads and compression underwear. From the first hour after the procedure, the wound area was cooled with a Game Ready device. From the first day after the procedure, both patients were allowed to apply full weight to the limb in the shoe. The crutches were put away as soon as possible. Rehabilitation began right away on the next day; during its course, attempts were made to reduce the use of the shoe to a minimum and to achieve the full range of foot motion as soon as possible. In both patients, the full range of motion was reached approximately 2 weeks after the surgery. The video support for the article is available at: https://youtu.be/bi3xuwOT9vs


2010 ◽  
Vol 100 (4) ◽  
pp. 270-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shay Tenenbaum ◽  
Niv Dreiangel ◽  
Ayal Segal ◽  
Amir Herman ◽  
Amnon Israeli ◽  
...  

Background: Treatment modalities for acute Achilles tendon rupture can be divided into operative and nonoperative. The main concern with nonoperative treatment is the high incidence of repeated ruptures; operative treatment is associated with risk of infection, sural nerve injury, and wound-healing sequelae. We assessed our experience with a percutaneous operative approach for treating acute Achilles tendon rupture. Methods: The outcomes of percutaneous surgery in 29 patients (25 men; age range, 24–58 years) who underwent percutaneous surgery for Achilles tendon rupture between 1997 and 2004 were retrospectively evaluated. Their demographic data, subjective and objective evaluation findings, and isokinetic evaluation results were retrieved, and they were assessed with the modified Boyden score and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Ankle-Hindfoot Scale. Results: All 29 patients demonstrated good functional outcome, with no- to mild-limitations in recreational activities and high patient satisfaction. Mean follow-up was 31.8 months. Changes in ankle range of motion in the operated leg were minimal. Strength and power testing revealed a significant difference at 90°/sec for plantarflexion power between the injured and healthy legs but no difference at 30° and 240°/sec or in dorsiflexion. The mean modified Boyden score was 74.3, and the mean Ankle-Hindfoot Scale score was 94.5. Conclusions: Percutaneous surgery for Achilles tendon rupture is easily executed and has excellent functional results and low complication rates. It is an appealing alternative to either nonoperative or open surgery treatments. (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 100(4): 270–275, 2010)


2018 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 2473011418S0028
Author(s):  
Jonathan Kaplan ◽  
Jeffery Hillam ◽  
Amiethab Aiyer ◽  
Niall Smyth

Category: Sports Introduction/Purpose: Diabetes Mellitus (DM) is an epidemic affecting millions of individuals in the United States. Multiple studies have demonstrated an increase in complications in foot and ankle surgery in patients with DM, including wound healing complications, surgical site infections (SSI), or surgical failure. The goal of this study was to retrospectively review outcomes data from the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) to determine the impact of DM on operative treatment of achilles tendon ruptures. Methods: Using the NSQIP from 2006-2015, patients were identified using common procedure terminology (CPT) for Achilles tendon ruptures. Diabetic and non-diabetic cohorts were evaluated to compare demographics, comorbidities, perioperative details and 30-day outcomes. Statistical evaluation included a power analysis for the primary outcome measure of wound disruption as well as univariate analysis was performed using chi-squared or Fisher’s exact and Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Results: A total of 2,014 patients were identified having sustained an Achilles tendon rupture. There were 1,981 patients without DM and 33 patients with DM. There were no significant differences in postoperative complications, including SSI, medical complications, and 30-day outcomes between patients with DM and non-DM patients undergoing surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. The power analysis for wound disruption showed a P=0.9 with an alpha of 0.05, sample size of n=2014, and Pearson correlation coefficient of r=0.0721 Conclusion: While DM has been shown to have an increase in complications in various foot and ankle procedures, this study demonstrates that there is no significant difference in postoperative complications and 30-day outcomes between patients with DM and non-DM patients undergoing surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures using the NSQIP database from 2006-2015. Based on this data, patients with diabetes mellitus can be considered adequate surgical candidates for acute Achilles tendon rupture repair.


2021 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 465-470
Author(s):  
Saad Andaloussi

BACKGROUND: Missed traumatic Achilles tendon ruptures in children are rarely reported in the literature. Various techniques have been described to reconstruct delayed Achilles tendon ruptures for adults, but the long-term consequences in the growing child are unknown. CLINICAL CASE: The article presents a clinical observation of a 8-year-old girl with missed rupture of the Achilles tendon operated 7 weeks after the trauma by end-to-end Kessler-type sutures augmented with the plantaris tendon. At 2-year follow-up, the patient was completely asymptomatic. DISCUSSION: A review of the literature shows that this is the third neglected pediatric case of post-traumatic Achilles tendon rupture. The first case concerns a 10-year-old boy treated successfully six weeks after the traumat by open surgical repair using the Bunnell sutures technique. The second patient was a 7-year-old girl, she was operated 8 weeks after the trauma with a termino-terminal tenorrhaphy using the Bunnell technique augmented with the plantaris tendon. CONCLUSIONS: Using the plantaris tendon to reinforce the Achilles tendon repair offers satisfactory results with minimal morbidity. Prognosis depends on the extent of tendon defect which determines the long-term functional outcome. Any skin wound that sits on the back of the leg requires a systematic and careful physical examination to check the integrity of the Achilles tendon.


2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael H. Amlang ◽  
Hans Zwipp ◽  
Adina Friedrich ◽  
Adam Peaden ◽  
Alfred Bunk ◽  
...  

Purpose. This work introduces a distinct sonographic classification of Achilles tendon ruptures which has proven itself to be a reliable instrument for an individualized and differentiated therapy selection for patients who have suffered an Achilles tendon rupture. Materials and Methods. From January 1, 2000 to December 31, 2005, 273 patients who suffered from a complete subcutaneous rupture of the Achilles tendon (ASR) were clinically and sonographically evaluated. The sonographic classification was organized according to the location of the rupture, the contact of the tendon ends, and the structure of the interposition between the tendon ends. Results. In 266 of 273 (97.4%) patients the sonographic classification of the rupture of the Achilles tendon was recorded. Type 1 was detected in 54 patients (19.8%), type 2a in 68 (24.9%), type 2b in 33 (12.1%), type 3a in 20 (7.3%), type 3b in 61 (22.3%), type 4 in 20 (7.3%), and type 5 in 10 (3.7%). Of the patients with type 1 and fresh ASR, 96% () were treated nonoperative-functionally, and 4% () were treated by percutaneous suture with the Dresden instrument (pDI suture). Of the patients classified as type 2a with fresh ASR, 31 patients (48%) were treated nonoperatively-functionally and 33 patients (52%) with percutaneous suture with the Dresden instrument (pDI suture). Of the patients with type 3b and fresh ASR, 94% () were treated by pDI suture and 6% () by open suture according to Kirchmayr and Kessler. Conclusion. Unlike the clinical classification of the Achilles tendon rupture, the sonographic classification is a guide for deriving a graded and differentiated therapy from a broad spectrum of treatments.


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