Percutaneous Achilles tendon repair combined with real-time sonography

Background: When encountering complaints of pain in the area of Achilles tendon with a suspected lesion, the clinician seldom reaches a precise diagnosis based only on X-ray and clinical examination. Ultrasonography is useful for evaluating the pathology and treatment. Objectives: To assess the relative contribution of real-time intraoperative ultrasound examination and immediate postoperative ultrasound in patients with acute rupture of the Achilles tendon treated by percutaneous suture method. The combination of both procedures provides a unique advantage that could facilitate better results. Methods: Ultrasound examination was used in 20 patients with acute rupture of the Achilles tendon who were treated surgically. Intraoperative as well as postoperative ultrasound examinations were performed in 5 patients while 15 patients underwent an immediate postoperative ultrasound. Results: Ultrasound pathologies were found in all patients. Percutaneous surgical correction of ruptured Achilles tendon with accurate positioning of the foot using real-time sonography was successful in all the patients. Conclusion: As in many other soft tissue lesions, ultrasonography is a useful tool for evaluating the pathology and for planning the surgical correction of ruptures in the Achilles tendon.