[The acute Achilles tendon rupture: new insights in the treatment]

The acute Achilles tendon rupture is a typical sports injury, which most commonly occurs in men. The diagnosis is easy to make but there is no consensus on best treatment: surgical or conservative treatment? In the case of surgical repair, the risk of a re-rupture is considerably smaller compared to conservative treatment by cast immobilisation. The results of conservative treatment using a functional brace are not good enough to serve as a good alternative for surgery. If surgical treatment is chosen, minimally invasive surgery should be performed. The risk of re-rupture is the same as in open reconstruction but the risk of, a possibly severe, wound infection is smaller. Independent of the suture technique chosen, the postoperative rehabilitation should be functional as opposed to full immobilisation. Too little is currently known about the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture for a broadly supported treatment guideline to be realised.