Salvage Mini-Open Achilles Tendon Repair Using the Percutaneous Achilles Repair System (PARS): A Technical Tip

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Tendon Repair

Background:

• Minimally invasive techniques for Achilles tendon ruptures offer advantages but have limitations.
• Complex tear patterns and poor tendon quality can impede percutaneous suture capture.
• Failure to capture the proximal tendon stump may necessitate conversion to open surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe a salvage technique for challenging mid-substance Achilles tendon ruptures.
• To present a method that avoids conversion to an extensile open approach.
• To report on the use of mini-open incisions for Achilles tendon repair.

Main Methods:

• A technical report detailing a salvage surgical technique.
• Utilizes percutaneous suture passage with modifications to capture difficult tendon stumps.
• Employs small mini-open incisions instead of a large open approach.

Main Results:

• Successfully repaired Achilles tendon ruptures where percutaneous methods initially failed.
• Avoided the need for extensive open surgical dissection.
• Demonstrated the utility of a salvage technique in complex cases.

Conclusions:

• A mini-open salvage technique provides an effective alternative for challenging Achilles tendon ruptures.
• This method addresses limitations of standard minimally invasive approaches.
• It allows for secure tendon repair while minimizing surgical invasiveness.