Limited open repair of ruptured Achilles tendons with Bunnel-type sutures.

Abstract

A new method of repairing Achilles tendons, which uses a small medial skin incision with a Bunnel-type suture, was performed on 14 patients, and the clinical results were found satisfying. In order to restore the Achilles tendon to its original length, restore tensile strength in the suture site, and minimize injury to the sural nerve, an operative procedure has been devised which uses a limited open repair with a Bunnel-type suture. We followed 14 patients who had undergone the new procedure for a mean interval of 26 months after the injury. They returned to work in six weeks and to playing sports in 25 weeks. There were no cases of late rerupture nor injuries to the sural nerve. This technique approximated the preinjury length and resting tension of the musculo-tendinous apparatus and minimized sural nerve injury.