Surgical Treatment for Chronic Achilles Tendinopathy: a Prospective Seven Month Follow Up Study

Overview

Journal Br J Sports Med

Publisher BMJ Publishing Group

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2002 Jun 11

PMID 12055111

Citations 25

Authors

Mika Paavola

P Kannus

S Orava

M Pasanen

M Jarvinen

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Objective: To prospectively assess the early results of surgical treatment of chronic Achilles tendinopathy.

Methods: This seven month prospective follow up study assessed the short term results of surgical treatment of chronic Achilles tendinopathy and compared the subjective and functional outcome of patients with Achilles tendinopathy without a local intratendinous lesion (group A) with that of similar patients with such a lesion (group B). Forty two of the initial 50 patients were examined before surgery and after the seven month follow up. Evaluation included an interview, subjective evaluation, clinical tests, and a performance test.

Results: At the follow up, physical activity was fully restored in 28 of the 42 patients (67%), and 35 patients (83%) were asymptomatic or had only mild pain during strenuous exercise. In clinical tests, significant improvements were observed in climbing up and down stairs and the rising on the toes test. Surgical treatment also seemed to be successful from the total test score, which was excellent or good in 35 patients, compared with before surgery when it was excellent or good in one patient only. Patients in group A fared better than those in group B, whether evaluated by recovery of physical activity after surgery (88% v 54%) or the complication rate (6% v 27%).

Conclusions: Surgical treatment of chronic Achilles tendinopathy gives good and acceptable short term results. A lower complication rate and a trend to better recovery was observed in patients with peritendinous adhesions only than in those with peritendinous adhesions combined with an intratendinous lesion.

Citing Articles

Achilles Tendinopathy and Associated Disorders.

Ferguson A, Christophersen C, Elattar O, Farber D Foot Ankle Orthop. 2022; 4(2):2473011419838294.

PMID: 35097320 PMC: 8696945. DOI: 10.1177/2473011419838294.

ICON 2020-International Scientific Tendinopathy Symposium Consensus: A Systematic Review of Outcome Measures Reported in Clinical Trials of Achilles Tendinopathy.

Silbernagel K, Malliaras P, Vos R, Hanlon S, Molenaar M, Alfredson H Sports Med. 2021; 52(3):613-641.

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The clinical diagnosis of Achilles tendinopathy: a scoping review.

Matthews W, Ellis R, Furness J, Hing W PeerJ. 2021; 9:e12166.

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Level of Evidence for the Treatment of Chronic Noninsertional Achilles Tendinopathy.

Peters M, Walsh K, Day C, Younger A, Salat P, Penner M Foot Ankle Spec. 2021; 16(4):406-426.

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The Central-Splitting Approach for Achilles Insertional Tendinopathy and Haglund Deformity.

Ricci A, Stewart M, Thompson D, Watson B, Ashmyan R JBJS Essent Surg Tech. 2020; 10(1):e0035.

PMID: 32368411 PMC: 7161732. DOI: 10.2106/JBJS.ST.19.00035.

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