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Regeneration of tendo Achillis

A A H Parkar1, M Taylor, N Patel

  • 1Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford CM1 7ET,UK. drasifparkar@rediffmail.com

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British Volume
|June 2, 2010
PubMed

Insights

A child

Area of Science:

  • Orthopedic Surgery
  • Pediatric Traumatology
  • Wound Healing

Background:

  • Secondary infection following tendo Achillis (Achilles tendon) repair can lead to significant tendon loss.
  • Management of extensive soft tissue and tendon defects in pediatric patients presents a challenge.

Observation:

  • A pediatric patient experienced a 5 cm loss of the distal tendo Achillis and surrounding soft tissue due to secondary infection post-repair.
  • Initial management involved a free skin flap for wound coverage and infection control, deferring tendon reconstruction.

Findings:

  • Two years post-skin flap, the child demonstrated spontaneous, normal ankle function with equal strength in both lower extremities.
  • Delayed reconstruction of the tendo Achillis was deemed unnecessary due to the patient's remarkable functional recovery.

Implications:

  • This case suggests that spontaneous functional recovery of the tendo Achillis is possible even after substantial tendon loss and infection.
  • It highlights the potential for non-operative management or delayed reconstruction in select pediatric cases with extensive Achilles tendon defects.

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