Clinical Outcomes and Complications With Open vs Minimally Invasive Achilles Tendon Repair

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Musculoskeletal Research

Background:

• No consensus exists on open vs. minimally invasive surgery (MIS) for acute Achilles tendon rupture.
• Hypothesized similar PROMIS scores and complication rates between open and MIS repair.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare patient-reported outcomes and complication rates between open and minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair.
• Evaluate the efficacy of different surgical approaches for acute Achilles tendon ruptures.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective cohort study of 185 patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture.
• Compared a minimally invasive group (n=118) using a device with an open repair group (n=67).
• Collected and analyzed preoperative and postoperative PROMIS scores and complication data.

Main Results:

• Both open and MIS repair groups showed improved PROMIS scores postoperatively.
• No significant differences in postoperative PROMIS scores were found between the groups.
• Complication rates were similar, with 19.5% in MIS and 16.4% in open repair groups.

Conclusions:

• Minimally invasive and open Achilles tendon repair result in comparable PROMIS outcomes.
• Similar types and incidences of complications are observed for both surgical techniques.
• Both approaches are effective for acute Achilles tendon rupture repair.