A combined open and percutaneous technique for repair of tendo Achillis. Comparison with open repair

TLDR

The authors devised a combined open and percutaneous operative technique for Achilles tendon repair and compared its long‑term outcomes in 12 patients with those of 10 patients undergoing standard open repair. The combined technique produced significantly better symptom relief, improved single‑limb hopping, higher return‑to‑sport rates, and superior cosmetic outcomes, with no difference in ankle range of motion, calf circumference or tiptoe ability compared to open repair.

Abstract

A combined open and percutaneous operative technique has been devised for repair of tendo Achillis. This minimises postoperative scarring. We compared the long-term results of 12 patients treated by this method with the results of 10 who had undergone an open repair. The combined open and percutaneous repair gave significantly better relief of symptoms during everyday activities (p < 0.05), better single-limb hopping (p < 0.02) and a greater chance of returning to sport (p < 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two treatments as regards to active range of ankle motion, calf circumference or the ability to stand on tiptoe. The new technique gave better cosmetic results.