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Total Achilles Tendon Ruptures: Current Trends

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Sports Injuries

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Abstract

Achilles tendon rupture occurs relatively common (De Jonge, Br J Sports Med 45:1026–1028, 2011). Although it is the thickest and strongest tendon in the human body, it remains susceptible to injury. During the last decades, the incidence of spontaneous ruptures has been rising, which may be due to the increasing keep-fit culture. Ruptures occur most frequently in patients between the age of 30 and 50 years old, with a male predominance. Approximately 75 % of Achilles tendon ruptures occur during sports activities, especially racket games, soccer, and handball. Diagnosis is primarily clinical. However, there is still a lack of consensus on the best management of the Achilles tendon rupture. Generally, open surgical management is advocated, although over the past few years, percutaneous techniques are performed more commonly. Nonsurgical management appears to be a good alternative for those with comorbidity or patients who do not wish to have surgery. Recent systematic reviews have concluded that operative management has a lower re-rupture rate but must be balanced by the risks associated with surgery (Khan and Carey Smith, Cochrane Database Syst Rev CD003674, 2010).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Aspire Zone, Sportscity Street, Doha, Qatar

    Pieter d’Hooghe

  2. Department of Orthopaedics, Kungsbacka Hospital, SE-434 40, Kungsbacka, Sweden

    Katarina Nilsson-Helander

  3. Department of Orthopaedics, Institute of Clinical Sciences at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden

    Nicklas Olsson

  4. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, SE-413 45, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Jon Karlsson

Authors
  1. Pieter d’Hooghe
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  2. Katarina Nilsson-Helander
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  3. Nicklas Olsson
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  4. Jon Karlsson
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Pieter d’Hooghe .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology and Department of Sports Medicine, Hacettepe University, Istanbul, Turkey

    Mahmut Nedim Doral

  2. Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden

    Jon Karlsson

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d’Hooghe, P., Nilsson-Helander, K., Olsson, N., Karlsson, J. (2015). Total Achilles Tendon Ruptures: Current Trends. In: Doral, M.N., Karlsson, J. (eds) Sports Injuries. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36569-0_185

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-36569-0_185

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-36568-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-36569-0

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