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Is Percutaneous Repair Better Than Open Repair in Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture?

  • Symposium: Arthroscopy
  • Published:
Clinical Orthopaedics and Related Research®

Abstract

Background

Open repair of Achilles tendon rupture has been associated with higher levels of wound complications than those associated with percutaneous repair. However, some studies suggest there are higher rerupture rates and sural nerve injuries with percutaneous repair.

Questions/purposes

We compared the two types of repairs in terms of (1) function (muscle strength, ankle ROM, calf and ankle perimeter, single heel rise tests, and work return), (2) cosmesis (length scar, cosmetic appearance), and (3) complications.

Patients and Methods

We retrospectively reviewed 32 surgically treated patients with Achilles rupture: 17 with percutaneous repair and 15 with open repair. All patients followed a standardized rehabilitation protocol. The minimum followup was 6 months (mean, 18 months; range, 6–48 months).

Results

We observed similar values of plantar flexor strength, ROM, calf and ankle perimeter, and single heel raising test between the groups. Mean time to return to work was longer for patients who had open versus percutaneous repair (5.6 months versus 2.8 months). Mean scar length was greater in the open repair group (9.5 cm versus 2.9 cm). Cosmetic appearance was better in the percutaneous group. Two wound complications and one rerupture were found in the open repair group. One case of deep venous thrombosis occurred in the percutaneous repair group. All complications occurred before 6 months after surgery. We identified no patients with nerve injury.

Conclusions

Percutaneous repair provides function similar to that achieved with open repair, with a better cosmetic appearance, a lower rate of wound complications, and no apparent increase in the risk of rerupture.

Level of Evidence

Level III, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Marcos Paleo Pineda who was chief of the foot and ankle service and operated on several patients; Leonardo Lagos Sepúlveda for checking and evaluating some of the patients; Juan Pablo Araya who was our physiotherapist; and Viviana Toro Ibacache who corrected the manuscript and helped us with the analyses.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Foot and Ankle Service, Instituto Traumatológico–University of Chile, Avenida San Martín 771, Santiago, Chile

    Hugo Henríquez MD, Roberto Muñoz MD, Giovanni Carcuro MD & Christian Bastías MD

Authors
  1. Hugo Henríquez MD
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  2. Roberto Muñoz MD
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  3. Giovanni Carcuro MD
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  4. Christian Bastías MD
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hugo Henríquez MD.

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Each author certifies that he or she has no commercial associations (eg, consultancies, stock ownership, equity interest, patent/licensing arrangements, etc) that might pose a conflict of interest in connection with the submitted article.

Each author certifies that his or her institution has approved the human protocol for this investigation, that all investigations were conducted in conformity with ethical principles of research, and that informed consent was obtained.

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Henríquez, H., Muñoz, R., Carcuro, G. et al. Is Percutaneous Repair Better Than Open Repair in Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture?. Clin Orthop Relat Res 470, 998–1003 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-011-1830-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11999-011-1830-1

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