Achilles tendon ruptures in elite athletes
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Updated: Jun 4, 2026
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Published on: March 1, 2024
Nicola Maffulli1, Umile Giuseppe Longo, Gayle D Maffulli
1Queen Mary University of London, Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, Mile End Hospital, 275 Bancroft Road, London, E1 4DG, United Kingdom. n.maffulli@qmul.ac.uk
Background:
The management of Achilles tendon (AT) ruptures in elite athletes can be challenging. We performed a retrospective review of prospectively collected data study to evaluate the results of percutaneous repair of an acute AT rupture in elite athletes.
Materials And Methods:
Seventeen elite athletes with prodromal tendinous problems sustained an acute tear of the AT and underwent percutaneous surgical repair. We performed preoperative evaluations the day of surgery, and report the results of postoperative evaluation at a final followup at an average of 72 months from the procedure. Each patient was evaluated for limb dominance, trauma history, duration and type of preoperative symptoms, and postoperative AT Total Rupture Score (ATRS).
Results:
All patients were able to fully weightbear on the operated limb by the end of the 8th postoperative week. The average time to return to full sport participation was 4.8±0.9 months. Two of the 15 elite athletes on whom we have full data suffered from a superficial infection of the surgical wound.
Conclusion:
Our study suggests that percutaneous repair of the AT is a good option for elite athletes, allowing a safe and prompt return to sport activities.
