Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture

Abstract

Total Achilles tendon ruptures are most common in racket sports, and the incidence in football is low. Most footballers who sustain a total Achilles tendon rupture are recreational players around 40 years of age. This injury also occurs in top-level players, although not frequent. The diagnosis is made by clinical evaluation, and only in few cases MRI and/or ultrasonography are needed to establish the diagnosis. Treatment can be either nonsurgical or surgical, and in active football players surgical treatment is recommended. The main reason for surgical treatment is restoration of tendon length and improved muscle strength. The recommended surgical treatment is mini-invasive approach, with end-to-end suture using stable sutures and local adaptation of the tendon gap. Early range of motion (in some cases, even without plaster or brace) is recommended. A recent study revealed a rerupture rate of 0 % using this technique. During the last decade, major improvements in terms of rehabilitation have shown promising results.