Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 27, 2026
07:51
Effects of Allogeneic Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) on the Healing Process of Sectioned Achilles Tendons of Rats: A Methodological Description
Published on: March 19, 2018
Microcirculation after Achilles tendon rupture correlates with functional and patient-reported outcomes
P Praxitelous1,2, G Edman3, P W Ackermann1,2
1Integrative Orthopedic Laboratory, Department of Molecular Medicine and Surgery, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.
Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports
|April 6, 2017
Summary
Microvascular blood flow in the Achilles tendon, assessed via laser-Doppler flowmetry, predicts patient outcomes after acute Achilles tendon rupture (ATR). Higher blood flow in the injured limb correlates with better combined functional and patient-reported results at one year.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Sports Medicine
- Regenerative Medicine
Background:
- Acute Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) healing is prolonged and variable.
- Microcirculatory blood flow is implicated in tendon healing.
- The predictive value of microcirculation for ATR healing outcomes remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the association between Achilles tendon microvascular blood flow and patient-reported and functional outcomes following ATR.
- To determine if early microcirculation can predict long-term healing success.
Main Methods:
- Laser-Doppler flowmetry assessed bilateral Achilles tendon microvascular blood flow during post-occlusive reactive hyperemia in nine ATR patients at two weeks post-operation.
- Patient-reported outcomes were measured using the Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) at three months.
- A combined outcome score (ACOS) integrating ATRS and heel-rise test results was obtained at one year.
Main Results:
- Improved ACOS at one year significantly correlated with higher maximum blood flow in the injured limb (r=.777, P=.040).
- Enhanced ATRS at three months was associated with an elevated maximum to resting blood flow ratio in the uninjured limb (r=.809, P=.015).
Conclusions:
- Early microcirculatory blood flow in the Achilles tendon is linked to long-term patient-reported and functional outcomes after ATR.
- Both the healing and contralateral Achilles tendon microcirculation appear to influence healing potential post-injury.
