Treatment of a 3-Level Achilles Tendon Injury in an Elite Ballet Dancer with Perioperative Ultrasound: A Case Report

We present the case of a 28-year-old female professional ballet dancer with a complex 3-level Achilles tendon injury where preoperative ultrasound was used to guide incision placement. With limited incisions, the patient underwent successful 3-level repair and has returned to dancing.

This was a rare case of a magnetic resonance imaging--confirmed 3-level acute Achilles tendon injury. Point-of-care ultrasound in the preoperative holding area was used for precise marking of each level allowing a minimally invasive surgical approach rather than a single, large incision. Multiple imaging modalities can be used to guide the surgical management of and limit incision size of complex injuries that otherwise may seem straightforward.