OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effectiveness of the channel-assisted minimally invasive repair (CAMIR) technique combined with flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon transfer in the treatment of Achilles tendon sleeve avulsion. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 17 patients with Achilles tendon sleeve avulsion who underwent CAMIR technique combined with FHL transfer between January 2019 and January 2023. The cohort comprised 13 males and 4 females, aged 32 to 65 years (mean, 49.7 years). Etiologies included sports-related injuries in 15 cases and blunt trauma in 2 cases. The interval from injury to surgery ranged from 4 to 368 days (median, 15 days). All patients exhibited calcification at the Achilles tendon insertion site, with 7 cases complicated by Haglund deformity. Postoperative complications were meticulously monitored, and tendon healing was assessed via MRI. Clinical outcome were evaluated using the visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain, Tegner activity level rating scale, ankle activity score (AAS), American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score, Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) score, and subjective clinical scoring systems preoperatively and at last follow-up. RESULTS: The operation time was 50-62 minutes (mean, 56 minutes), and the intraoperative blood loss was 5-50 mL (mean, 19.7 mL). All patients were followed up 12-67 months (mean, 38 months). No postoperative complication, such as Achilles tendon re-rupture, incision infection, deep vein thrombosis, heel raise insufficiency, or sural nerve injury, was observed. At last follow-up, MRI examination confirmed satisfactory tendon healing in all cases. Significant improvements were noted in VAS scores, Tegner activity level rating scale, AAS scores, AOFAS ankle-hindfoot scores, and VISA-A scores compared to preoperative ones ( P<0.05). At last follow-up, the subjective clinical score ranged from 6 to 10 (median, 9). CONCLUSION The CAMIR technique combined with FHL tendon transfer is a good treatment for repair of Achilles tendon sleeve avulsion, with good recovery of ankle function and few complications.
Humans ; Achilles Tendon/diagnostic imaging* ; Middle Aged ; Male ; Female ; Tendon Transfer/methods* ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Adult ; Retrospective Studies ; Aged ; Treatment Outcome ; Tendon Injuries/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate of effectiveness of free fascia lata flap assisted by indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) in treatment of Myerson type Ⅱ and Ⅲ chronic Achilles tendon ruptures. METHODS: A clinical data of 14 patients with Myerson type Ⅱ and Ⅲ chronic Achilles tendon ruptures between March 2020 and June 2024 was retrospectively analyzed. All Achilles tendon defects were repaired with the free fascia lata assisted by ICGA during operation. There were 12 males and 2 females with an average age of 45.4 years (range, 26-71 years). The causes of Achilles tendon rupture included sports injury in 10 cases, Achilles tendon-related tendinopathy in 3 cases, and glass laceration injury in 1 case. The time from Achilles tendon rupture to operation was 4-40 weeks (median, 4.5 weeks). Preoperative MRI examination showed that the defect length of the Achilles tendon was 2-5 cm (mean, 3.2 cm). The operation time and intraoperative blood loss were recorded. The color Doppler ultrasound (CDU) and MRI were taken to observe the foot blood vessels and the tendon healing. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) score, Achilles Tendon rupture score (ATRS), and range of motion of the ankle joint were used to estimate the pain and function of ankle joint. RESULTS: All operations of the 14 patients were successfully completed. The operation time ranged from 3.00 to 4.50 hours (mean, 3.60 hours). The intraoperative blood loss ranged from 10 to 50 mL (mean, 36.4 mL). After operation, 1 patient had exudation at the recipient site, which healed after dressing change; the other incisions healed by first intention. All incisions at the donor sites healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 6-36 months (mean, 11.4 months). The CDU of the foot at 1 month after operation showed that the blood flow signal of the perforating vessels of the fascia lata flap was clear. The ankle MRI at 2 months after operation showed the good continuity of the Achilles tendon. No complication such as the Achilles tendon re-rupture, ankle stiffness, or scar contracture occurred during follow-up. Compared with preoperative score, the AOFAS score, ATRS score, and plantar flexion range of motion significantly increased at 1, 3, and 6 months after operation ( P<0.05), while the VAS score and dorsiflexion range of motion significantly decreased ( P<0.05). The AOFAS score, ATRS score, and VAS score at 3 and 6 months further improved when compared with those at 1 month ( P<0.05); however, there was no significant difference in the range of motion of the ankle joint ( P>0.05). There was no significant difference in above indicators between 3 and 6 months after operation ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION The treatment of Myerson type Ⅱ and Ⅲ chronic Achilles tendon ruptures with free fascia lata flaps under the guidance of ICGA has the advantages of precise design, fast healing, and a wide range of adaptability.
Humans ; Achilles Tendon/diagnostic imaging* ; Male ; Female ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Retrospective Studies ; Indocyanine Green ; Rupture/surgery* ; Aged ; Fascia Lata/transplantation* ; Angiography/methods* ; Free Tissue Flaps/blood supply* ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods* ; Tendon Injuries/diagnostic imaging* ; Treatment Outcome ; Chronic Disease

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the positional relationship between protective channel and sural nerve while treating acute Achilles tendon rupture with channel assisted minimally invasive repair (CAMIR) technique based on anatomical observations of cadaver specimens. METHODS: Twelve adult cadaveric lower limb specimens (6 left, 6 right) were utilized. A CAMIR device was implanted at a distance of 4 cm from the proximal end of the specimen to the Achilles tendon insertion. The skin was incised along the tendon's medial side, the sural nerve was dissected, and the positional relationship with the protective channel was observed. The distance from the sural nerve-Achilles tendon intersection to the calcaneal insertion, the vertical distance between protective channel and the calcaneal insertion, and the horizontal distance between the sural nerve and protective channel were measured by using vernier caliper. RESULTS: Anatomical examination demonstrated a variable positional relationship between the sural nerve and protective channel, with the sural nerve positioned above (8 specimens) or below (4 specimens) the protective channel. The distance from the sural nerve-Achilles tendon intersection to the calcaneal insertion was (105.67±14.94) mm, the vertical distance between protective channel and the calcaneal insertion was (93.20±9.57) mm, and the horizontal distance between the sural nerve and protective channel was (0.31±0.14) mm. CONCLUSION The use of CAMIR technique for the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture can effectively avoid iatrogenic injury to the sural nerve.
Humans ; Achilles Tendon/injuries* ; Sural Nerve/anatomy & histology* ; Cadaver ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Tendon Injuries/surgery* ; Rupture/surgery* ; Adult ; Male ; Calcaneus/injuries* ; Female ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the anti-adhesive effect and underlying mechanism of dynamic and static stress stimulation on the early healing process of rat Achilles tendon injury. METHODS: Achilles tendon tissues of 15 male Sprague Dawley (SD) rats aged 4-6 weeks were isolated and cultured by enzyme digestion method. Rat Achilles tendon cells were treated with tumor necrosis factor α to construct the Achilles tendon injury cell model, and dynamic stress stimulation (dynamic group) and static stress stimulation (static group) were applied respectively, while the control group was not treated. Live/dead cell double staining was used to detect cell activity, ELISA assay was used to detect the expression of α smooth muscle actin (α-SMA), and real-time fluorescence quantitative PCR was used to detect the mRNA expression of collagen type Ⅰ (COL1A1), collagen type Ⅲ (COL3A1), and Scleraxis (SCX). Thirty male SD rats aged 4-6 weeks underwent Achilles tendon suture and were randomly divided into dynamic group (treated by dynamic stress stimulation), static group (treated by static stress stimulation), and control group (untreated), with 10 rats in each group. HE staining and scoring were performed to evaluate the healing of Achilles tendon at 8 days after operation. COL1A1 and COL3A1 protein expressions were detected by immunohistochemical staining, α-SMA and SCX protein expressions were detected by Western blot, and maximum tendon breaking force and tendon stiffness were detected by biomechanical stretching test. RESULTS: In vitro cell experiment, when compared to the static group, the number of living cells in the dynamic group was higher, the expression of α-SMA protein was decreased, the relative expression of COL3A1 mRNA was decreased, and the relative expression of SCX mRNA was increased, and the differences were all significant ( P<0.05). In the in vivo animal experiment, when compared to the static group, the tendon healing in the dynamic group was better, the HE staining score was lower, the expression of COL1A1 protein was increased, the expression of COL3A1 protein was decreased, the relative expression of SCX protein was increased, the relative expression of α-SMA protein was decreased, and the tendon stiffness was increased, the differences were all significant ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION Compared with static stress stimulation, the dynamic stress stimulation improves the fibrosis of the scar tissue of the rat Achilles tendon, promote the recovery of the biomechanical property of the Achilles tendon, and has obvious anti-adhesion effect.
Animals ; Achilles Tendon/injuries* ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Collagen Type I/metabolism* ; Collagen Type III/metabolism* ; Tendon Injuries/therapy* ; Wound Healing ; Stress, Mechanical ; Actins/metabolism* ; Cells, Cultured ; Tissue Adhesions/prevention & control* ; Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha/metabolism* ; RNA, Messenger/genetics* ; Disease Models, Animal ; Collagen Type I, alpha 1 Chain/metabolism* ; Biomechanical Phenomena ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors

OBJECTIVE: To compare the effectiveness of Achillon Achilles tendon suture guide combined with circuit suture under the perineural channel and Krachow suture with posterolateral incision of Achilles tendon in the treatment of Kuwada type Ⅱ acute closed Achilles tendon rupture. METHODS: The clinical data of 38 patients with Kuwada type Ⅱ acute closed Achilles tendon rupture who met the selection criteria between January 2020 and December 2023 were retrospectively analyzed. Krachow suture via posterolateral incision was used in 24 cases (traditional group), and Achillon Achilles tendon suture guide combined with circuit suture via perineural channel was used in 14 cases (minimally invasive group). There was no significant difference in baseline data such as age, gender, body mass index, cause of injury, time from injury to operation, characteristics of Achilles tendon injury (broken end distance, stump length), and preoperative Achilles tendon total rupture score (ATRS), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle and hindfoot function score between the two groups ( P>0.05). The operation time, incision length, hospital stay, and complications (re-tear, incision infection, sural nerve irritation, deep venous thrombosis) were recorded. ATRS score and AOFAS ankle and hindfoot function score were used to evaluate the effectiveness before operation and at 3 and 6 months after operation. RESULTS: All patients successfully completed the operation. The operation time, incision length, and hospital stay in the minimally invasive group were significantly shorter than those in the traditional group ( P<0.05). Patients in both groups were followed up 8-16 months, with an average of 12.7 months. There was no sural nerve injury or re-tear of Achilles tendon in both groups. In the traditional group, 1 case had incision infection,1 case had suture rejection, and 1 case had intermuscular venous thrombosis; in the minimally invasive group, no incision healing complication, suture knot discomfort, or thrombosis occurred. There was no significant difference in the incidence of complications between the two groups ( P=0.283). The ATRS score and AOFAS ankle and hindfoot function score of the two groups were improved after operation, but there was no significant difference ( P>0.05). Except that there was no significant difference in AOFAS ankle and hindfoot function scores between the two groups at 6 months after operation ( P>0.05), the ATRS scores and AOFAS ankle and hindfoot function scores in the minimally invasive group were significantly better than those in the traditional group at other time points ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION The treatment of Kuwada type Ⅱ acute closed Achilles tendon rupture with Achillon Achilles tendon suture guide combined with circuit suture via the perineural channel has similar ankle function comparable to traditional operation, but the incision is smaller and the incidenc of incision infection is lower, which is beneficial for patients to recover early ankle function.
Humans ; Achilles Tendon/injuries* ; Suture Techniques ; Retrospective Studies ; Tendon Injuries/surgery* ; Rupture/surgery* ; Sutures ; Male ; Treatment Outcome ; Female ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Adult

OBJECTIVE: To explore the difference in effectiveness between a dynamic rehabilitation protocol and a traditional static rehabilitation protocol after the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture with channel assisted minimally invasive repair (CAMIR) technique through a prospective comparative trial, aiming to provide a reference for clinically selecting a feasible treatment regimen. METHODS: Patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture admitted between June 2021 and June 2022 were included in the study, with 60 patients meeting the selection criteria. They were randomly divided into a dynamic rehabilitation group ( n=30) and a static rehabilitation group ( n=30) using a computer-generated random number method. There was no significant difference in baseline data such as gender, age, body mass index, smoking history, injured side, cause of injury, and disease duration between the two groups ( P>0.05). After Achilles tendon anastomosis by using CAMIR technique, the dynamic rehabilitation group implemented early partial weight-bearing training with the assistance of an Achilles heel boot and controlled ankle joint exercises for 6 weeks, while the static rehabilitation group maintained a non-weight-bearing status during this period. Complications in both groups were recorded. At 3 and 6 months after operation, the Achilles tendon total rupture score (ATRS) was used to evaluate the degree of functional limitation of the Achilles tendon in the affected limb, and the 12-Item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12 scale) was used to assess the patients' quality of life, including physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores. RESULTS: No sural nerve injury occurred during operation in both groups. All patients were followed up 12-18 months (mean, 14 months). The dynamic rehabilitation group had significantly higher ATRS scores at 3 and 6 months after operation compared to the static rehabilitation group ( P<0.05). At 3 months after operation, the dynamic rehabilitation group had significantly lower PCS, MCS, and SF-12 total scores compared to the static rehabilitation group ( P<0.05). At 6 months, all quality of life scores in the two groups were similar ( P>0.05). Two cases (6.6%) in the dynamic rehabilitation group and 5 cases (16.7%) in the static rehabilitation group developed complications, with no significant difference in incidence of complications ( P>0.05). CONCLUSION For acute Achilles tendon rupture, the dynamic rehabilitation protocol after Achilles tendon anastomosis by using CAMIR technique can improve early functional recovery and maintains comparable safety and effectiveness compared to static rehabilitation.
Humans ; Achilles Tendon/surgery* ; Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures/methods* ; Rupture/surgery* ; Female ; Male ; Tendon Injuries/rehabilitation* ; Prospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Anastomosis, Surgical/methods* ; Recovery of Function ; Middle Aged ; Adult ; Plastic Surgery Procedures/methods*

OBJECTIVE: To analyze the causes, management and prevention of complications after micro-incision percutaneous repair of acute Achilles tendon rupture. METHODS: A retrospective study indentyfied 279 patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture who underwent a mini-invasive procedure using the micro-incision percutaneous Achilles tendon suture system(MIPAS) from August 2008 to November 2019, including 269 males and 10 female;96 cases on the right side and 183 cases on the left side;aged from 18 to 64 years old with an average of (36.9±11.4 )years old. Surgery was performed 0.5 to 7 days with an average of(2.7±0.9 )days after injury. The incision-related complications, re-rupture, sural nerve injury, deep vein thrombosis, Achilles tendon adhesion, local pain, and ankle stiffness within 18 months after surgery were recorded, as well as the corresponding management and outcome, the causes and prevention measures were analyzed. RESULTS: No superficial or deep infection was found in all patients, symptomatic Achilles tendon adhesion and ankle stiffness were not observed, delayed suture foreign-body reactions occurred in 2 cases (0.7%), re-rupture in 5 cases (1.8%), sural nerve injury in 3 cases (1.1%), 21 cases(7.5%) with skin invagination at puncture site, 2 cases (0.7%) with symptomatic vein thrombosis, and 45 cases (16.1%) of transient posterior medial malleolus pain. After individualized treatment, the function was good. American Orthopeadic Foot & Ankle Sciety(AOFAS) score was 93 to 100 with an average of(98.9±5.4) scores. CONCLUSION Despite the occurrence of unique complications with MIPAS, it shows low functionally-related complications rates, such as incision-related complications, re-rupture, sural nerve injury, deep vein thrombosis and ankle stiffness.
Male ; Humans ; Female ; Adolescent ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Achilles Tendon/injuries* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Tendon Injuries/surgery* ; Rupture/surgery* ; Sutures ; Acute Disease ; Suture Techniques

PURPOSE: Previous studies have confirmed that Achilles tendon occurs Achilles thickening after repair surgery of the rupture. Although this mechanism has been elucidated in the laboratory, there are few reports on its impact on clinical function. We designed a retrospective study to investigate the Achilles thickening after Achilles tendon rupture repair and its correlation between the elasticity and postoperative function. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, patients who underwent surgical treatment for acute Achilles tendon rupture from April 2016 to April 2020 were included. All the patients were regularly followed up at 3 months, 1 year, and 2 years after surgery. American Orthopaedic Foot Ankle Surgeon (AOFAS) scale and Leppilahti score were used to evaluate functional outcomes. Achilles elasticity was measured by ultrasound shear wave of elasticity. Achilles thickening was calculated as maximal transverse and longitudinal diameter in cross-sectional plane of magnetic resonance scan. Sample t-tests was used for different follow-up periods. Correlation between Achilles thickening and other factors were analyzed using Pearson's method. p < 0.05 indicates a statistically significant difference. RESULTS: AOFAS scale and Leppilahti score at 1 year were significantly higher than at 3 months postoperatively (both p < 0.001). These functional scales were also improved at 2-year follow-up significantly (both p < 0.001). The dorsiflexion difference showed gradually recovery in each follow-up period (t = -17.907, p < 0.001). The elasticity of the Achilles appeared to continuously decreases during the postoperative follow-up period in all position sets (p < 0.001). In thickening evaluation, the cross-sectional area of the thickest plane of Achilles was significantly higher at 1 year postoperatively (310.5 ± 25.2) mm² than that at 3 months postoperatively ((278.0 ± 26.2) mm², t = -8.219, p < 0.001) and became thinner in 2-year magnetic resonance scan ((256.1 ± 15.1) mm², t = 16.769, p < 0.001). The correlations between Achilles thickening, elasticity, and functional outcome did not show statistical significance (p > 0.05) in every follow-up period. CONCLUSION Achilles tendon thickens after surgery in the 1st year, but begins to gradually return to thinning about 2 years after surgery. There was no significant correlation between the increase and decrease of thickening and the patients' clinical function scores, Achilles elasticity, and bilateral ankle dorsiflexion difference.
Humans ; Achilles Tendon/surgery* ; Retrospective Studies ; Treatment Outcome ; Elasticity ; Tendon Injuries/surgery* ; Rupture/surgery*

OBJECTIVE: To assess the effectiveness of a novel minimally invasive Achilles tendon suture instrument in the treatment of fresh closed Achilles tendon rupture. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted on 150 patients who underwent surgical intervention for fresh closed Achilles tendon rupture. Eighty patients were treated with the novel minimally invasive Achilles tendon suture instrument (minimally invasive group) and 70 patients with traditional open surgery (traditional group). The two groups were comparable in terms of gender, age, injured side, cause of injury, the interval between injury and operation, and the distance from the fracture end to the calcaneal tuberosity ( P>0.05). The operation time, intraoperative blood loss, incision length, hospital stays, hospitalization expenses, and complications were recorded and compared. At 1 year after operation, the ankle joint function was evaluated by the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot score. RESULTS: The minimally invasive group demonstrated significantly shorter operation time, smaller incision length, and lower intraoperative blood loss when compared with the traditional group ( P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in terms of hospital stays and hospitalization expenses between the two groups ( P>0.05). All patients were followed up 12-24 months after operation (mean, 15.5 months). In the traditional group, 6 cases of incision necrosis and 7 cases of Achilles tendon adhesion occurred, while in the minimally invasive group, all incisions healed at first intention and no Achilles tendon adhesion occurred. The differences in the incidences of the two complications between the two groups were significant ( P<0.05). At 1 year after operation, the AOFAS ankle-hindfoot score in the minimally invasive group was superior to that of the traditional group ( P<0.05). CONCLUSION In comparison with traditional open surgery, the use of self-designed novel minimally invasive Achilles tendon suture instrument proves to be an ideal technique for treating fresh closed Achilles tendon ruptures. This approach offers the benefits of smaller incisions, fewer complications, and better postoperative functional recovery, without increasing hospital costs.
Humans ; Blood Loss, Surgical ; Retrospective Studies ; Neurosurgical Procedures ; Achilles Tendon/surgery* ; Tendon Injuries/surgery* ; Ankle Injuries ; Surgical Wound ; Sutures

OBJECTIVE: To explore clinical efficacy of Locking loop stitch with suture-bridge technique in repair of acute closed distal Achilles tendon rupture by using suture anchors. METHODS: From July 2019 to March 2021, 20 patients with acute closed distal Achilles tendon rupture were treated by minimally invasive suture anchor locking suture bridging repair technique. Among them, including 18 males and 2 females, aged from 19 to 52 years old with an average of(40.0±9.0) years old. Complications were observed, and recovery of ankle function was evaluated by American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society(AOFAS) ankle and hindfoot function scoring system before operation and 1 year after operation. RESULTS: All patients followed up from 6 to 18 months with an average of (12.0±3.2) months. The incisions were healed at stageⅠwithout infection and skin necrosis occurred;no gastrocnemius nerve injury and deep vein thrombosis of the lower extremities occurred;and no heel pain and Achilles tendon re-rupture occurred. AOFAS scores of ankle and hindfoot increased from(59.0±4.3) before opertaion to(95.1±2.6) at 1 year after operation (t=-32.1, P<0.05). CONCLUSION The effect of locking suture bridging with suture anchor nails to repair acute distal Achilles tendon rupture is definite, and it could reduce incidence of complications such as Achilles tendon re-rupture, nerve injury, and skin necrosis, which has advantages of small surgical trauma, reliable anastomosis method and good functional recovery, and is an ideal method for treating acute closed distal Achilles tendon rupture.
Female ; Male ; Humans ; Young Adult ; Adult ; Middle Aged ; Suture Anchors ; Achilles Tendon/surgery* ; Ankle Injuries ; Tendon Injuries/surgery* ; Necrosis