Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture Research Articles

Reconstruction of neglected achilles tendon ruptures with gastrocnemius flaps: excellent results in long-term follow-up.

Repair of the neglected achilles tendon ruptures can be challenging due to retraction of tendon stumps. Different repair and augmentation techniques were described. This study aims to investigate long-term results of neglected achilles tendon rupture repair with gastrocnemius flaps. Between 1995 and 2005, 21 neglected achilles tendon rupture reconstructions were performed with using gastrocnemius fascial flaps. Mean age was 32.1years. Mean period between rupture and operation was 8.4weeks. Ankle range of motion, calf circumference, heel raise test, Visual Analog Scale (VAS), American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) hindfoot and Foot and Ankle Disability Index (FADI) scores were checked. The average gap length was 6.4cm. Mean follow-up was 145.3months. Median dorsiflexion/plantar flexion values for operated and uneffected sides were 18°/30° and 19°/30°, respectively. The mean values for AOFAS and FADI scores were 98.5 points and 98.9%, respectively. VAS score was 0 point for all patients. With the numbers available, no significant difference could be detected in terms of ankle range of motion, calf circumference measures and dynamometric analysis. Mean time for return to daily activities was 11.1 (8-16) weeks after surgery. Prerupture activity level was achieved 14.1months postoperatively. All patients were able to perform heel raise test. Repair of neglected achilles tendon ruptures with gastrocnemius flaps has satisfactory long-term results.

Immediate weight bearing and function following surgery for neglected Achilles tendon ruptures

Immediate weight bearing and function following surgery for neglected Achilles tendon ruptures

The Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture Repaired With Allograft: A Review of 14 Cases

Various surgical techniques have been reported for the repair of neglected Achilles tendon ruptures, including V-Y advancements, synthetic augmentations, and collagen implants. The use of an Achilles tendon allograft allows bridging of large defects without donor site morbidity, with a relative ease of technique and adequate graft availability. The present retrospective report focused on the outcomes of a series of 14 patients with neglected ruptures treated with an Achilles tendon allograft. Patients were included in the present series if they had ≥12 months of postoperative follow-up data available and the allograft had been used without any adjunctive procedures. Of the 14 patients, 6 were female (43%) and 8 were male (57%), with a mean follow-up period of 16.1 ± 3 (range 12 to 27) months. The mean interval from the initial injury to surgery was 6.9 ± 5 (range 1 to 28) months. The mean intraoperative defect size was 7.0 ± 3 (range 4 to 15) cm. A calcaneal block was used in 2 patients (14%). All patients were able to perform a single heel rise at a mean of 27 ± 11 (range 12 to 37) weeks postoperatively. Weightbearing in normal shoe gear was achieved at a mean of 13.5 ± 3 (range 12 to 17) weeks. Complications included 1 delayed union (7%) of the calcaneal bone block. Repair of the neglected Achilles tendon rupture with an allograft appears to be an acceptable approach, with good overall outcomes and low risk. These results suggest that this method of repair compares favorably with established alternatives.

Outcome of a One-Stage Tensile Stress Surgical Technique and Early Postoperative Rehabilitation in the Treatment of Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture

The present study evaluated the effect of single-stage internal traction combined with early postoperative active rehabilitation and the yurt bone suture method, a new surgical technique, on the clinical outcomes after surgical repair of Achilles tendon. A total of 51 patients with neglected Achilles tendon rupture who underwent the yurt bone suture treatment also participated in an accelerated postoperative rehabilitation program. The clinical outcome was evaluated for 18 weeks using the Leppilahti scoring system, bilateral ultrasound examination, and computed tomography examination. The ultrasound and computed tomography examinations revealed that Achilles tendon elongation and adhesion occurred in none of the patients. All the patients could perform the single leg heel raise exercise for a mean of 30 ± 7.6 seconds at 12 weeks postoperatively. In addition, the patients could participate in sport exercises and heavy physical activities by around 13 weeks postoperatively. The mean Leppilahti score was 85.8 ± 3.7 at 8 weeks postoperatively, and it had increased to 96.1 ± 3.2 and 100.0 ± 0.0 at 12 and 18 weeks, respectively, after the operation. The 1-stage internal traction technique, combined with early postoperative active rehabilitation and the yurt bone surgical technique, resulted in good clinical outcomes for the treatment of neglected Achilles tendon rupture.

Surgical treatment of the neglected achilles tendon rupture with Hyalonect.

The purpose of this study was to report the management and outcomes of ten patients with chronic Achilles tendon rupture treated with a turndown gastrocnemius-soleus fascial flap wrapped with a surgical mesh (Hyalonect). Ten men with neglected Achilles tendon rupture were treated with a centrally based turndown gastrocnemius fascial flap wrapped with Hyalonect. Hyalonect is a knitted mesh composed of HYAFF, a benzyl ester of hyaluronic acid. The Achilles tendon ruptures were diagnosed more than 1 month after injury. The mean patient age was 41 years. All of the patients had weakness of active plantarflexion. The mean preoperative American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score was 64.8. The functional outcome was excellent. The mean American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score was 97.8 at the latest follow-up. There were significant differences between the preoperative and postoperative scores. Ankle range of motion was similar in both ankles. Neither rerupture nor major complication, particularly of wound healing, was observed. For patients with chronic Achilles tendon rupture with a rupture gap of at least 5 cm, surgical repair using a single turndown fascial flap covered with Hyalonect achieved excellent outcomes.

Management of Neglected Achilles Tendon Ruptures with Flexor Hallucis Longus Transfer

ABSTRACT From July 2000 to July 2012, we have treated 48 cases with neglected Achilles tendon ruptures in Government General Hospital, Kurnool, India, with modified flexor hallucis longus (FHL) transfer. Thirty-three patients had achillodynia and 29 had local steroid infiltration. Thirty-six patients presented with ruptures in hypovascular zone II and, in 31, repair was after 3 weeks, graded as late (Inglis). The patients were managed based on a standardized evaluation and surgical protocol. The technique of FHL transfer was simplified by anchoring the tendon in a vertical transcalcaneal tunnel. The results were evaluated by Quigley's method, 100 point scoring system of Leppilahti, and recently updated with AOFAS hind foot score. The follow-up ranged from 2.5 to 12.2 years. The follow-up suggested that patients with FHL transfer showed significantly lower mean wound healing times and weight-bearing time and functional recovery times when compared with patients who had peroneal transfer, for neglected ruptures. The results are presented, analyzed and discussed. How to cite this article Raghunandan G. Management of Neglected Achilles Tendon Ruptures with Flexor Hallucis Longus Transfer. J Foot Ankle Surg (Asia-Pacific) 2014;1(1):5-8.

A Novel Way to Reconstruct the Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture

A Novel Way to Reconstruct the Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture

Chronic Achilles Rupture Reconstructed with Achilles Tendon Allograft: A Case Report

Chronic ruptures of the Achilles tendon are more difficult to treat than acute tendon rupture. It has been shown that surgical treatment of chronic Achilles tendon rupture provides better functional results than nonoperative treatment. We present a case of neglected Achilles tendon rupture with a 12-cm defect that was repaired using an Achilles tendon allograft with interferential screws to fix the graft in the calcaneus. The patient recovered his ankle function to normal activities after rehabilitation.

Reconstruction of neglected traumatic Achilles tendon rupture in a young girl

Posttraumatic neglected Achilles tendon ruptures in a young patient have not been described in the literature to our knowledge; indeed, neglected ruptures of the Achilles tendon have only rarely been described in adults. We present the case of a 7 year old girl with posttraumatic neglected rupture of the Achilles tendon that was operated on 8 weeks after the trauma.

Simultaneous Reconstruction of Quadriceps Tendon Rupture after TKA and Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture

We report a case of simultaneous reconstruction of a quadriceps tendon rupture after total knee arthroplasty (TKA) and neglected Achilles tendon rupture, which occurred before TKA with an ipsilateral hamstring autograft. A 64-year-old woman presented with persistent right knee pain. She also had right heel pain and had received multiple steroid injections at the knee joint and heel. On examination, she showed osteoarthritis in the medial and lateral compartments of the knee joint and an Achilles tendon rupture in the ipsilateral limb. There was skin dimpling and the proximal portion of tendon was migrated. We performed TKA, and the postoperative course was satisfactory. She returned 3 months postoperatively, however, with skin dimpling around the suprapatellar area and weakness of knee extension. Her ankle symptoms were also aggravated because she could not use the knee joint freely. We performed simultaneous reconstruction of the quadriceps tendon and the Achilles tendon using an ipsilateral hamstring autograft.Hamstring autograft offers a good alternative treatment option for rupture repair, particularly with concommitant ruptures of multiple sites when primary repair is not possible or the viability of repaired tissue is poor.

Anatomic Reconstruction of Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture With Autogenous Peroneal Longus Tendon by EndoButton Fixation

Neglected or chronic rupture of the Achilles tendon usually needs a reconstruction procedure. Many graft sources have been reported for this procedure, such as a proximal V-Y gastrocnemius tendon flap, flexor hallucis longus tendon, fascia lata, plantaris tendon, synthetic materials, and peroneus brevis. However, how to fix the graft at the calcaneal site remains controversial. An alternative technique to anatomically reconstruct the Achilles tendon using an autogenous peroneal longus tendon with EndoButton-CL fixation at the calcaneal site for treatment of a patient who had a chronic neglected rupture of the Achilles tendon is described. The patient was allowed to begin gentle exercise, such as swimming and cycling 12 weeks after surgery, and encouraged to augment rehabilitation of hindfoot eversion and ankle plantar flexion. The ankle plantar flexion and hindfoot eversion strength was not reduced after active rehabilitation in 2.5 years of follow-up. Our technique reuses two small central incisions, thus, preserving skin integrity as much as possible to reduce wound breakdown or infection. The management of chronic or neglected Achilles tendon rupture by autogenous peroneal longus tendon with EndoButton-CL fixation at the calcaneal site is an anatomic and safe, but technically demanding technique.

Chronic Achilles tendon rupture reconstruction using a modified flexor hallucis longus transfer

The purpose of this study was to report the management and outcome of 11 patients presenting with chronic Achilles tendon (AT) rupture treated by a modified flexor hallucis longus (FHL) transfer. Seven patients presented with a neglected AT rupture, one with a chronic AT rupture associated with Achilles tendinosis and three with an AT re-rupture. AT defect after fibrosis debridement averaged 7.4 cm. In addition to FHL transfer, we performed an augmentation using the two remaining fibrous scar stumps of the ruptured AT. Functional assessment was performed using the AOFAS score and isokinetic evaluation was performed to assess ankle plantarflexion torque deficit. Follow-up averaged 79 months. Functional outcome was excellent with a significant improvement of the AOFAS score at latest follow-up. No re-rupture nor major complication, particularly of wound healing, was observed. All patients presented with a loss of active range of motion of the hallux interphalangeal joint without functional weakness during athletic or daily life activities. Isokinetic testing at 30 degrees/second and 120 degrees/second revealed a significant average decrease of 28 ± 11% and 36 ± 4.1%, respectively, in plantarflexion peak torque. Although strength deficit persisted at latest follow-up, functional improvement was significant without morbidity due to FHL harvesting. For patients with chronic AT rupture with a rupture gap of at least 5 cm, surgical repair using FHL transfer with fibrous AT stump reinforcement achieved excellent outcomes.

Surgical Treatment of Chronic Achilles Tendon Rupture

Chronic Achilles tendon ruptures are often challenging to repair because of muscle and tendon atrophy, retraction, and short distal stumps. We undertook a retrospective investigation of 14 patients who were treated with the Ligament Advanced Reinforcement System (LARS) ligament for the treatment of chronic, neglected rupture of the Achilles tendon. The patients pursued a course of early functional rehabilitation, and postoperative outcome scores were obtained at 3, 6, and 12 months, based on the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle and hindfoot scoring system, and the Tegner Activity score. The minimum duration of follow-up was 36 months. After a minimum of 28 months postoperative, and up to 41 months postoperative, there was no observed incidence of rerupture or recurrent pain. The mean time to return to full activity was 18.3 +/- 2.7 weeks, and >90% of the patients scored > or =80 points on the AOFAS scoring scale. Specifically, the mean AOFAS score increased from 48.64 +/- 12.67 to 85.86 +/- 6.6 after the operation, and this difference was statistically significant (P = .001). Furthermore, the Tegner activity scale score improved from 2.58 +/- 0.31 to 1.73 +/- 0.29 after the operation, and this difference was also statistically significant (P = .001). The results of this retrospective clinical study suggest that augmentation with the LARS ligament offers a satisfactory reconstructive option for the neglected Achilles tendon rupture. 4.

Neglected Achilles tendon rupture with central insertional plantaris tendon hypertrophy: two cases

A neglected Achilles tendon rupture is often characterized by muscle weakness and an overlengthened repair by scar tissue. Reconstructive surgery is usually performed taking into account the patient’s required level of function. Two surgical cases of neglected Achilles tendon rupture are presented in this article. In both instances it was expected that central fibrosis, possibly after neglected tendon rupture, would be found. However, after longitudinal opening of the tendons, a thickened plantaris tendon was evident at the insertion on the calcaneus in both cases. This hypertrophic tendon occupied most of the diameter of the Achilles tendon. Due to partial or complete rupture of the Achilles tendon, there was notable weakening and tendon transfer-augmentation was performed. A thickened plantaris tendon as a reaction to a neglected rupture of the Achilles tendon is a rare presentation. It can be detected preoperatively by MRI and subsequently preoperative planning can be optimized.

Neglected rupture of the Achilles tendon treated with a percutaneous technique

Neglected rupture of Achilles tendon is an infrequent but debilitating injury. Several surgical methods of treatment have been described to repair neglected Achilles tendon rupture. In our study we reviewed 20 patients (18 male and 2 female). We describe a new surgical technique using percutaneous repair of the neglected Achilles tendon ruptures. It consists of 10 micro-incisions, five lateral and five medial to the posterior aspect of the Achilles tendon, the suture is performed using an absorbable number 1 Vicryl (Ethicon, Edinburgh UK) inserted percutaneously in a figure of eight fashion. The advantages of this procedure are a short time immobilization, an early weight bearing and a return to complete ankle range of motion. The mean AOFAS score was 99.0, no re-ruptures or sural nerve damage were observed. In all the treated patients the results obtained were rated from good to excellent. We would like to encourage this technique as being fast, inexpensive and very satisfactory both to the patient and to the surgeon.

Reconstruction of neglected Achilles tendon rupture using the flexor hallucis tendon

Neglected ruptures of the Achilles tendon (AT) are not common and have a greater tendency to cause complications and to produce poorer functional results than fresh ruptures. Numerous surgical procedures have been described for the reconstruction of neglected AT ruptures. However, no report has been issued about an AT rupture neglected for more than 2 years. The authors reported about three patients (four tendons) with a neglected AT rupture of mean duration of 5 years, who were treated by interposed scar tissue repair combined with flexor hallucis longus tendon transfer. All patients experienced good clinical results and were satisfied with surgery.

Repair of Nelgected Achilles Tendon Rupture with Monofilament Polypropylene Mesh: A Case Study of 12 Patients

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of polypropylene mesh as an alternative to autogenous grafts and/or tendon transfers for neglected Achilles tendon rupture. Twelve patients with neglected Achilles tendon rupture underwent surgical repair using monofilament polypropylene mesh graft from 1999-2003. The average follow-up was 1.5 years. All patients were placed in a non-weight bearing, below-knee cast for 3 weeks, followed by 3 weeks of partial weight bearing in walking boot. All patients healed uneventfully, with three patients complaining of mild pain, one of moderate pain, and five with stiffness that resolved with physical therapy. The adjunctive use of monofilament polypropylene mesh is an appropriate method for the treatment of neglected Achilles tendon ruptures.

Autograft, Allograft and Xenograft Options in the Treatment of Neglected Achilles Tendon Ruptures: A Historical Review with Illustration of Surgical Repair

Autograft, Allograft and Xenograft Options in the Treatment of Neglected Achilles Tendon Ruptures: A Historical Review with Illustration of Surgical Repair

Reconstruction for Missed or Neglected Achilles Tendon Rupture with V-Y Lengthening and Flexor Hallucis Longus Tendon Transfer through One Incision

The purpose of this study was to introduce a novel operative technique and to evaluate the clinical outcomes in a cohort of patients with missed or neglected Achilles tendon ruptures. Fifteen consecutive patients with missed complete Achilles tendon ruptures and 5-cm or larger gaps had reconstruction with V-Y lengthening and flexor hallucis longus tendon transfer through a single incision. The patients were evaluated at an average of 106 weeks after surgery. At the time of followup, all patients were assessed with regard to their self-reported level of satisfaction and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale. Ankle strength and active range of motion were evaluated using Biodex (Biodex Medical Systems, Shirley, NY) isokinetic dynamometry. In addition, seven patients were evaluated using diagnostic ultrasound. We found a 7.7 N-m (-22.3%) loss of plantarflexion torque at 60 degrees/sec and a 3.5 N-m (-13.5%) loss of plantarflexion torque at 120 degrees/sec, as well as a 5 degrees loss of active range of motion. AOFAS scores were all good to excellent, with an average score of 94.1 of 100. All patients were satisfied with their outcomes (rated good or very good). Excellent exposure of the Achilles tendon repair was obtained with ultrasound. For patients with missed or neglected Achilles tendon rupture with a rupture gap of at least 5 cm, operative repair using V-Y lengthening and flexor hallucis longus tendon transfer through a single incision technique achieved a high percentage of satisfactory results.

Achilles Tendon Repair with Acellular Tissue Graft Augmentation in Neglected Ruptures

Neglected Achilles tendon rupture injuries present surgical challenges because of the quality and quantity of tendon tissue during repair combined with the magnitude of mechanical forces placed on this tendon. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of an acellular human dermal tissue matrix, GRAFTJACKET, as an augmentation material in neglected Achilles tendon repair. Nine patients with neglected Achilles tendon ruptures were evaluated and followed up for a minimum of 20 months. Primary repair was followed by augmentation with the graft and suturing circumferentially around the tendon. Patients were placed in an early, functional rehabilitation program with postoperative evaluation at 3, 6, and 12 months. Outcome scores were calculated based on the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot scoring system. At 20 to 30 months postoperative follow-up range, there has been no incidence of re-rupture or recurrent pain. The average return-to-activity time was 15.2 +/- 1.7 weeks. The results from this retrospective clinical series suggest that using an acellular human dermal tissue matrix to augment neglected Achilles tendon rupture primary repair offers desirable return-to-activity time points and viable surgical alternative over previously reported surgical options.