Abstract
Purpose
The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of the endoscopic-assisted locking block modified Krackow technique with a V-Y flap. The hypothesis was that the minimally invasive technique can reduce wound complications and facilitate early recovery.
Methods
In total, 29 men with chronic Achilles tendon rupture who underwent either minimally invasive technique (n = 13) or open repair (n = 16) at our department between 2013 and 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The rate of complications, time to return to moderate-intensity exercise, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle hindfoot score, Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score, heel-rise repetitions in 1 min, heel-rise height, and bilateral calf circumference at 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively were recorded.
Results
All incisions healed primarily in the minimally invasive technique group; however, three patients in the open repair group experienced wound complications. The time to return to moderate-intensity exercise, American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society score, Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score, heel-rise repetition ratio, and heel-rise height ratio at 6 months postoperatively in the minimally invasive technique group were significantly better than those in the open repair group. However, it was not significantly different between both groups at 2 years postoperatively.
Conclusion
Endoscopy allowed scar tissue and adhesions to be removed, allowing the tendon ends to be mobilized out of the small proximal and distal incisions. Minimally invasive technique may result in a lower wound complication incidence and provide better early functional recovery and return to moderate-intensity exercise time than the conventional open procedure in treating chronic Achilles tendon ruptures.
Clinical trial registration
Wuxi Ninth People’s Hospital Medical Ethical Committee, LW2021026.
Level of evidence
III.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alhaug OK, Berdal G, Husebye EE, Hvaal K (2019) Flexor hallucis longus tendon transfer for chronic Achilles tendon rupture. A retrospective study Foot Ankle Surg 25(5):630–635
Arshad Z, Lau EJS, Leow SH, Bhatia M (2021) Management of chronic Achilles ruptures: a scoping review. Int Orthop 45:2543–2559
Apinun J, Jenvorapoj S, Arirachakaran A, Kongtharvonskul J (2020) Clinical outcomes of chronic Achilles tendon rupture treated with flexor hallucis longus grafting and flexor hallucis longus grafting plus additional augmentation: a meta-analysis. Foot Ankle Surg 26(7):717–722
Arriaza R, Arriaza Á, López-Vidriero E, Gayoso R, Agrasar C, Saavedra-Garcia MA (2019) Quadriceps tendon autograft and platelet rich plasma injection to treat chronic Achilles tears-a minimum two-year follow-up. Ann Transl Med 7(23):746
Arshad Z, Lau EJS, Leow SH, Bhatia M (2021) Management of chronic Achilles ruptures: a scoping review. Int Orthop 45(10):2543–2559
Bai L, Guan S, You T, Zhang W, Chen P (2019) Comparison of gastrocnemius turn flap and hamstring graft for the treatment of Kuwada type 3 chronic ruptures of the Achilles tendon: a retrospective study. Orthop J Sports Med 7(12):2325967119887673
Bąkowski P, Ciemniewska-Gorzela K, Talaśka K, Górecki J, Wojtkowiak D, Kerkhoffs GMMJ, Piontek T (2020) Minimally invasive reconstruction technique for chronic Achilles tendon tears allows rapid return to walking and leads to good functional recovery. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 28(1):305–311
Carmont MR, Zellers JA, Brorsson A, Olsson N, Nilsson-Helander K, Karlsson J, Silbernagel KG (2017) Functional outcomes of Achilles tendon minimally invasive repair using 4- and 6-strand nonabsorbable suture: a cohort comparison study. Orthop J Sports Med 5(8):2325967117723347
Chen C, Hunt KJ (2019) Open reconstructive strategies for chronic Achilles tendon ruptures. Foot Ankle Clin 24(3):425–437
Gedam PN, Rushnaiwala FM (2016) Endoscopy-assisted Achilles tendon reconstruction with a central turndown flap and semitendinosus augmentation. Foot Ankle Int 37:1333–1342
Gunaratne R, Chong YC, Heng Y, Hahn J, Lek J, Randazzo A, Brankov B (2021) Chronic Achilles tendon rupture: a novel modification of surgical technique described by El Shewy. ANZ J Surg 91:1447–1450
Farber DC, Ellis SJ, Adams SB, Veljkovic A, Cardoso Diogo V, Rider C, Danilkowicz R (2022) Chronic Achilles tendon ruptures: from bracing treatment to complex reconstruction. Instr Course Lect 71:453–472
Fischer S, Kutscher R, Gramlich Y, Klug A, Hoffmann R, Manegold S (2021) Secondary reconstruction of chronic Achilles tendon rupture: flexor hallucis longus transfer versus plantaris longus augmentation. Int Orthop 45:2323–2330
Haghverdian JC, Gross CE, Hsu AR (2021) Knotless reconstruction of chronic Achilles tendon ruptures with <3-cm defects: technique tip. Foot Ankle Orthop 6(4):24730114211050564
Harvey T, Flamenco S, Fan CM (2019) A Tppp3Pdgfra tendon stem cell population contributes to regeneration and reveals a shared role for PDGF signalling in regeneration and fibrosis. Nat Cell Biol 21(12):1490–1503
Jiang XJ, Shen JJ, Huang JF, Tong PJ (2019) Reconstruction of Myerson type III chronic Achilles tendon ruptures using semitendinosus tendon and gracilis tendon autograft. J Orthop Surg (Hong Kong) 27(1):2309499019832717
Koh D, Lim J, Chen JY, Singh IR, Koo K (2019) Flexor hallucis longus transfer versus turndown flaps augmented with flexor hallucis longus transfer in the repair of chronic Achilles tendon rupture. Foot Ankle Surg 25:221–225
Labib SA, Hoffler CE, Shah JN, Rolf RH, Tingan A (2016) The gift box open Achilles tendon repair method: a retrospective clinical series. J Foot Ankle Surg 55(1):39–44
Li Y, Jiang Y, Tao T, Pan Z, Zhang K, Gui J (2021) Endoscopic reconstruction for chronic Achilles tendon ruptures using a hamstring tendon autograft. J Orthop Sci 26(5):854–859
Lin YJ, Duan XJ, Yang L (2019) V-Y tendon plasty for reconstruction of chronic Achilles tendon rupture: a medium-term and long-term follow-up. Orthop Surg 11(1):109–116
Ma Y, Meng X, Su Y, Yan Z, Shao Q, Chen Y (2021) Evaluation of a modified spoon-shaped medial incision in the surgical repair of a chronic Achilles tendon rupture. J Foot Ankle Surg 60(4):729–732
Meulenkamp B, Woolnough T, Cheng W, Shorr R, Stacey D, Richards M, Gupta A, Fergusson D, Graham ID (2021) What is the best evidence to guide management of acute Achilles tendon ruptures? A systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Clin Orthop Relat Res 479:2119–2131
Miyamoto W, Imade S, Innami K, Kawano H, Takao M (2017) Acute Achilles tendon rupture treated by double side-locking loop suture technique with early rehabilitation. Foot Ankle Int 38:167–173
Müller SA, Evans CH, Heisterbach PE, Majewski M (2018) The role of the paratenon in Achilles tendon healing: a study in rats. Am J Sports Med 46(5):1214–1219
Myerson MS (1999) Achilles tendon ruptures. Instr Course Lect 48:219–230
Nilsson N, Gunnarsson B, Carmont MR, Brorsson A, Karlsson J, Nilsson HK (2022) Endoscopically assisted reconstruction of chronic Achilles tendon ruptures and re-ruptures using a semitendinosus autograft is a viable alternative to pre-existing techniques. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-022-06943-2
Nilsson N, Nilsson HK, Hamrin SE, Holm A, Karlsson J, Svensson M, Westin O (2020) The economic cost and patient-reported outcomes of chronic Achilles tendon ruptures. J Exp Orthop 7(1):60. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40634-020-00277-z
Nordenholm A, Hamrin SE, Nilsson HK, Möller M, Zügner R (2022) Greater heel-rise endurance is related to better gait biomechanics in patients surgically treated for chronic Achilles tendon rupture. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-022-06987-4
Nordenholm A, Nilsson N, Krupic F, Hamrin SE, Nilsson HK, Westin O, Karlsson J (2022) Disappointment and frustration, but long-term satisfaction: patient experiences undergoing treatment for a chronic Achilles tendon rupture-a qualitative study. J Orthop Surg Res 17(1):217. https://doi.org/10.1186/s13018-022-03103-7
Nordenholm A, Senorski EH, Westin O, Nilsson HK, Möller M, Karlsson J, Zügner R (2022) Surgical treatment of chronic Achilles tendon rupture results in improved gait biomechanics. J Orthop Surg Res 17(1):67
Pendse A, Kankate R (2019) Reconstruction of chronic achilles tendon ruptures in elderly patients, with vascularized flexor hallucis longus tendon transfer using single incision technique. Acta Orthop Belg 85(1):137–143
Schweitzer KM, Dekker TJ, Adams SB (2018) Chronic Achilles ruptures: reconstructive options. J Am Acad Orthop Surg 26(21):753–763
Song Y, Chen G, Jia S, Xu W, Hua Y (2020) Good outcomes at mid-term following the reconstruction of chronic Achilles tendon rupture with semitendinosus allograft. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 28(5):1619–1624
Song YJ, Hua YH (2019) Tendon allograft for treatment of chronic Achilles tendon rupture: a systematic review. Foot Ankle Surg 25(3):252–257
Syed TA, Perera A (2019) Endoscopic management of chronic Achilles tendon rupture. Foot Ankle Clin 24(3):459–470
Tian J, Rui Y, Xu Y, Yang W, Xu T, Chen X, Zhang X (2020) A biomechanical comparison of Achilles tendon suture repair techniques: locking block modified Krackow, Kessler, and percutaneous Achilles repair system with the early rehabilitation program in vitro bovine model. Arch Orthop Trauma Surg 140(11):1775–1782
Tian J, Rui R, Xu Y, Yang W, Chen X, Zhang X, Xu T (2020) Achilles tendon rupture repair: biomechanical comparison of the locking block modified Krackow technique and the Giftbox technique. Injury 51:559–564
Vega J, Vilá J, Batista J, Malagelada F, Dalmau-Pastor M (2018) Endoscopic flexor hallucis longus transfer for chronic noninsertional Achilles tendon rupture. Foot Ankle Int 39:1464–1472
Winson DMG, MacNair R, Hutchinson AM, Owen NJ, Evans R, Williams P (2021) Delayed Achilles tendon rupture presentation: non-operative management may be the SMART choice. Foot (Edinb) 46:101724. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foot.2020.101724
Xergia SA, Tsarbou C, Liveris NI, Hadjithoma Μ, Tzanetakou IP (2022) Risk factors for Achilles tendon rupture: an updated systematic review. Phys Sportsmed. https://doi.org/10.1080/00913847.2022.2085505
Zou Y, Li X, Wang L, Tan C, Zhu Y (2021) Endoscopically assisted, minimally invasive reconstruction for chronic Achilles tendon rupture with a double-bundle flexor hallucis longus. Orthop J Sports Med 9:2325967120979990
Funding
Wuxi “Double Hundred” Young and Middle-aged Medical and Health Top-notch Talent Project.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding authors
Ethics declarations
Conflict of Interest
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Ethical approval
All authors certify that this investigation was performed in conformity with ethical principles of research. Written informed consent was obtained from each participant, and the institutional review board was approved by Wuxi Ninth People’s Hospital Medical Ethical Committee.
Additional information
Publisher's Note
Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.
Supplementary Information
Below is the link to the electronic supplementary material.
Rights and permissions
Springer Nature or its licensor holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.
About this article
Cite this article
Xu, T., Liu, X., Tian, J. et al. Endoscopic-assisted locking block modified Krackow technique combined with a V-Y flap for chronic Achilles tendon rupture. Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc 31, 86–93 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-022-07167-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-022-07167-0