A new minimal incision suture technique for acute close rupture of Achilles tendon / 中华创伤骨科杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the clinical efficacy of a new minimal incision suture technique in repair of acute close rupture of Achilles tendon.Methods From August 2008 through October 2014,134 patients with acute close rupture of Achilles tendon were treated with a self-designed minimally invasive suture technique at our institution.They were 130 men and 4 women,with an average age of 37.4 years (range,from 18 to 52 years).The left side was injured in 93 patients and the right side in 41.The interval from injury to surgery was 1 to 7 days (average,2.5 days).The tendon rupture was located at 4.5 to 6.3 cm proximal to its insertion in 133 patients,and at 1.2 cm in one.With the ankle held in full plantar flexion,a 1.0 to 1.5 cm transverse incision was made over the palpable defect.Forceps were then used to mobilize the tendon from beneath the paratenon.The safe puncture site was determined by course and distribution of the sural nerve indirectly located by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).Ethicon MB66 nonabsorbable suture was passed diagonally through the tendon bulk under epidural puncture needle guidance.The proximal and distal ends of the suture were tied together and buried.The tendon ends were apposed through the transverse incision.Postoperative individual rehabilitation was established based on pathological differentiation for tendon tissue.Results All the patients were followed up for 8 to 48 months (average,19.6 months).All the wounds healed at the first stage.No complications happened related to incision.The nervus suralis was injured in 3 patients;tendon re-rupture occurred in 4 patients,3 of whom received re-operation and one of whom conservative treatment.Their American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores averaged 99.6,giving a good to excellent rate of 100％ (133excellentcasesandonegoodcase).According to the Arner-Lindholm evaluation criteria,ankle function was excellent in 99 cases,good in 34 ones and poor in one,giving a good to excellent rate of 99.3％.Conclusion The new minimal incision suture technique is worthy of promotion in repair of ruptured Achilles tendon,because it is simple and reliable,does not interfere with the blood circulation to the Achilles tendon,prevents such complications as sural nerve injury and recurrent rupture,and leads to little adhesion and quick functional recovery.