Epidemiology of Achilles Tendon Ruptures in the United States: Athletic and Nonathletic Injuries From 2012 to 2016

Abstract

Background: Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures are one of the most common tendon ruptures, but there have been no studies investigating these injuries in the United States (US) using data representative of the entire US population. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence and risk factors for AT ruptures in the US. We hypothesized that male sex, older age, and sport participation would increase the risk for AT ruptures. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiology study. Methods: All patients presenting to an emergency department with ruptured AT in the US from 2012 through 2016 were selected from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS) database. Incidence was calculated for sex, race, and age. AT ruptures were characterized based on the mechanism of injury, with subanalyses performed on sport-related AT ruptures to examine sex-, race-, and age-related differences. Results: From 2012 to 2016, a significant increase in the incidence of AT ruptures was observed, from 1.8 per 100,000 person-years in 2012 to 2.5 per 100,000 person-years in 2016 (P