[Percutaneous repair of achilles tendon rupture--a technical note]

The treatment of the acute ruptures of the achillean tendon remains controversial. For the time being, there is no consent regarding the ideal therapeutic approach. The therapeutical procedure for the recent achilean tendon tears varies between two possible solutions, one conservative and the other surgical. The choice between these is made based on the type of rupture and the experience of the surgeon. The conservative techniques can have good results in selected cases, but they produce a degree of elongation of the tendon, which may lead to improper functional results. The classical surgical treatment (the open technique) has the handicap of a relatively large, longitudinal incision, which is made in an area with relatively poor skin vascular supply. Also, the vascular supply of the tendon itself is based mainly on perforant, subfascial vessels, which are intercepted during the approach. Taking these facts into consideration, some new, minimally invasive (percutaneous) techniques, were imagined. The principles of the standard percutaneous technique consist of: 1) union of the ruptured ends without using a large surgical approach, thus also avoiding the drainage of the local hematoma and rushing the repair; 2) avoiding damaging of the tendon's vascular supply. This techique leads to a rapid transformation of the collagen fibers into elastic fibers, which are mechanically effective. We present in this paper the method which uses the TENOLIG kit. This kit consists of two wires with anchors at one end and needles at the other end; two washers and two poliethylene disks for securing the distal end of the wire. We obtained good morphological (proven by MRI scan) and functional results with this technique. The postoperative protocol includes immobilization with the foot initially in equinous, then in normal position, with isometric muscle contractions and non-weight-bearing, then removal of the cast and wires at 45 days postoperatively and continuing the recovery by kinetotherapy.