A new 3D printed guide plate for minimally invasive treatment of Achilles tendon rupture / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the clinical efficacy of a new 3D printed guide plate in the minimally invasive treatment of fresh closed Achilles tendon rupture.Methods:From January 2019 to January 2020, 14 fresh closed Achilles tendon ruptures were treated by minimally invasive surgery at Department of Foot and Ankle Surgery, Xuzhou Renci Hospital. There were 13 males and one female, with an average age of 39.1 years (from 18 to 63 years). The rupture of the Achilles tendon body, 3 cm in length on average, was located 2 to 6 cm above the attachment of the calcaneal tuberosity. The ruptured Achilles tendon was repaired by suture with the aid of the new 3D printed guide plate. After operation, in cooperation of the Rehabilitation Department, we performed rehabilitation exercise under the guidance of the concept of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS). The length of incision, operation time, intraoperative blood loss, ankle function at the last follow-up and follow-up complications were recorded.Results:In this cohort, incision length averaged 2.5 cm (from 2.0 to 3.5 cm), operation time 45 min (from 30 to 60 min), and intraoperative blood loss 15 mL (from 10 to 20 mL). The 14 patients were followed up for 13 to 16 months (average, 14 months) after operation. In one patient, the epidermis at the incision edge became black and necrotic, which was healed after dressing change. Follow-ups observed no such complications as suture rejection, sural nerve injury, or Achilles tendon re-rupture. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) ankle-hindfoot scores at the last follow-up averaged 98 points (from 93 to 99 points), yielding 13 excellent cases and one good case; according to the Arner-Lindholm evaluation, the efficacy was excellent in 12 cases, good in one and poor in one.Conclusion:The minimally invasive treatment of fresh closed Achilles tendon rupture with our new 3D printed guide plate has exhibited advantages of minimally invasive incision, limited complications, simple manipulation, good functional recovery of the ankle joint and strong reproducibility of surgical operations.