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Surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures: a follow-up of 639 consecutive cases

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European Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery & Traumatology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Most studies on acute Achilles tendon rupture (AATR) and its treatment contain only a small number of patients, and due to selection criteria, older patients and those with comorbidities are typically excluded. Therefore, little is known about true complication rates in an unselected population reflecting the situation in an ordinary orthopedic department.

Method

Patient files of 639 consecutive Achilles tendon repairs in 631 patients with AATR between February 1998 and December 2005 were reviewed, and all complications from the day of surgery until December 2011 were identified using the hospital’s patient records and the Swedish national registry.

Results

Twenty-five (3.9%) re-operations were done, out of which 22 were due to a re-rupture. Fifty-one (8.6%) cases were of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), no difference between patients given versus patients not given thromboprophylaxis. Nineteen (3.0%) cases were of surgical site infection (SSI), all of which resolved upon oral antibiotics.

Conclusions

Surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon rupture was associated with a low risk for re-operations, but the risk for deep vein thrombosis was considerable, despite the use of prophylaxis.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Clinical Science, Intervention and Technology (CLINTEC), Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Daniel Fell

  2. Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska University Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden

    Anders Enocson

  3. Unit of Orthopaedics, Department of Clinical Science and Education, Stockholm South General Hospital, Karolinska Institutet, Södersjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden

    Lasse J. Lapidus

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  1. Daniel Fell
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  2. Anders Enocson
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  3. Lasse J. Lapidus
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Correspondence to Daniel Fell.

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Fell, D., Enocson, A. & Lapidus, L.J. Surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon ruptures: a follow-up of 639 consecutive cases. Eur J Orthop Surg Traumatol 30, 895–899 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-020-02650-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00590-020-02650-1

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