[Effectiveness of hamstring tendon and flexor hallucis longus tendon autograft for Achilles tendon defects...

To evaluate the effectiveness of hamstring tendon and flexor hallucis longus (FHL) tendon autograft for Achilles tendon defects reconstruction.

Between February 2009 and October 2011, 9 patients (9 feet) with Achilles tendon defect were treated with hamstring tendon and FHL tendon autograft. Of 9 cases, 6 were male and 3 were female with an average age of 43 years (range, 21-65 years), including 5 cases of chronic Achilles tendon ruptures caused by sport injury and 4 cases of Achilles tendon defects caused by resection of tendon lesion (2 cases of hyaline degeneration with necrosis, 1 case of giant cell tumor, and 1 case of chronic inflammation with hyaline degeneration). The disease duration ranged from 31 to 387 days (mean, 137.6 days). The defect length was 5 to 18 cm (mean, 8.6 cm). Functional exercise of the ankle began at 6 weeks after plaster fixation.

Dehiscence and effusion occurred in 2 cases and plantar pain caused by injury of tibial nerve in 1 case; primary healing of wound was obtained in the other patients without complication. Nine patients were followed up 19.7 months on average (range, 13-25 months); no re-rupture was observed. There was no significant difference in the dorsal extension between at preoperation and at 1 year and last follow-up after operation (P > 0.05); the ankle plantar flexion at 1 year and last follow-up after operation was significantly larger than that at preoperation (P < 0.05). The ankle plantar flexion and dorsal extension at 1 year and last follow-up after operation were significantly larger than those at 3 months after operation (P < 0.05), but no significant difference was found between at 1 year and last follow-up (P > 0.05). American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and short-form 36 health survey scale (SF-36) scores were significantly increased at postoperation when compared with scores at preoperation (P < 0.05), and the scores at last follow-up were significantly higher than those at 3 months after operation (P < 0.05). The Achilles tendon total rupture score (ATRS) at last follow-up was significantly higher than that at 3 months after operation (t = -7.982, P = 0.000).

Combined hamstring tendon and FHL tendon autograft is one of the effect methods to reconstruction Achilles tendon defects.