Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 17, 2026
Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) as a Suture Material in Tendon Surgery
Published on: October 6, 2022
[Percutaneous technique for Achilles tendon repair with the Dresden Instruments]
M H Amlang1, P Christiani, P Heinz
1Klinik für Unfall- und Wiederherstellungschirurgie, Universitätsklinikum Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität, Dresden. Michael.Amlang@uniklinikumdresden.de
Background:
The percutaneous technique for Achilles tendon repair with the Dresden instruments (pDI suture) was developed to minimize the typical problems of percutaneous Achilles tendon sutures.
Methods:
From 1 January 2000 to 31 December 2003, the pDI suture was performed in 61 patients with 62 Achilles tendon ruptures. We reviewed 39 of 47 patients (83%) with 40 ruptured Achilles tendons who had undergone percutaneous repair at a minimal interval of 12 months after the operation.
Results:
In this study we observed no sural nerve injuries. The rerupture rate was 2/62 or 3.2%. In one patient (1.6%) a superficial late infection occurred after tendon healing. Using the criteria of Trillat and Mounier-Kuhn, 62% of the results were very good and 30% good. The average AOFAS score was 96 (78-100) points; 78% of the patients assessed the result of treatment as very good and 20% as good.
Conclusions:
The percutaneous suture using the Dresden instruments is a minimally invasive operative treatment of Achilles tendon rupture resulting in nearly all very good and good subjective and clinical results. It combines a low rerupture and infection rate with a minimized risk of sural nerve injury.
