Dataset Information

Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Operative Therapy in Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy With Debridement and Double-Row Refixation.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT) is a painful pathology in which the strongest and thickest tendon of the human body is affected. Different conservative and operative treatments have been described to address this pathology. This study aimed to evaluate the medium-term clinical and radiological outcomes of patients who underwent a surgical therapy via a longitudinal tendon-splitting approach with debridement and double-row refixation.

Methods

All patients were assessed pre- and postoperatively using a visual analog scale (VAS), the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Hindfoot Score, the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score (FAOS), and the Foot Function Index (FFI). Additionally, a lateral radiograph of the foot was performed to assess the postoperative result. Forty-two patients with confirmed IAT who underwent surgery between 2013 and 2017 with a longitudinal tendon-splitting approach and tendon refixation using a double-row refixation system were evaluated. The average follow-up was 32.8 (range, 18-52) months. We included 26 female and 16 male patients with an average age of 56.8 (range, 27-73) years.

Results

The mean VAS improved from 8.91 ± 1.0 preoperatively to 1.47 ± 2.5 postoperatively (P < .01). AOFAS scores improved significantly from 51.0 ± 12.5 preoperatively to 91.3 ± 14.3 postoperatively (P < .01). All total and subscores of the FFI and FAOS saw a significant improvement at follow-up (P < .01). Lateral radiographs showed recurrent calcification in 30 patients (71.4%).

Conclusion

We found that, at an average of 33 months posttreatment, insertional Achilles tendinopathy via a longitudinal tendon-splitting approach resulted in good outcomes for patients after failure of initial conservative therapy. Recurrent calcification seems to be very common but shows no association with inferior outcomes or the return of symptoms.

Level of evidence

Level IV, retrospective case series.

SUBMITTER: Greiner F

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8446883 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Similar Datasets

Project description:BackgroundInsertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT) is a common cause of chronic posterior heel pain. Surgical intervention reproducibly improves patients' pain and functional status. We hypothesized that patients older than 60 years would have similar improvements in pain and function and low rates of complications after surgery for IAT when compared to a younger cohort.MethodsRetrospective review of adult case series in patients undergoing surgical management of IAT. Patients were stratified into those 60 years and younger and those older than 60 years. Patients with prior or concomitant surgical procedures and revisions were excluded. Visual analog scale (VAS), Short Form-36 Physical Component Summary and Mental Component Summary (SF-36 PCS/MCS) scores, wound infection, and recurrence, defined as a redevelopment of heel pain in the operative extremity within 6 months, were assessed with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Statistical analysis was performed using linear regression mixed models and χ2 analysis. Thirty-seven patients were enrolled, with 38 operative heels. The younger cohort had an average age of 49.1 (range, 26-60) years. The older group had an average age of 66.8 (range, 61-76) years.ResultsVAS and SF-36 PCS scores for the entire cohort significantly improved at 6 and 12 months postoperatively (P < .001). Postoperative SF-36 MCS scores for the cohort significantly improved only at 12 months (P < .001). No significant differences between the young and elderly were seen with regard to improvements in VAS and SF-36 PCS/MCS at 6 or 12 months postoperatively. Multiple linear regression models showed no significant difference between age groups and VAS score, SF-36 PCS/MCS, or change in pain scores after controlling for comorbidities. No significant difference in overall complication rates was seen between the 2 groups (4.9% vs 29.4%, P = .104). There was 1 recurrence of heel pain in the younger group and 4 recurrences of pain in the older group (23.5%) at 6 months, of which 2 resolved at 1 year. There was 1 case of a superficial wound infection requiring antibiotics in the older cohort (5.9%). No patients required surgical revision.ConclusionSurgical management of IAT in an older population produced similar improvements in clinical results when compared to a younger cohort, with no significant increase in postoperative complications.Level of evidenceLevel III, retrospective comparative series.

Project description:BackgroundThere is no consensus regarding the treatment of Achilles insertional tendinopathies. Eccentric training remains the main choice in the conservative treatment of this illness; however, the good results in the management of non-insertional Achilles tendinopathy were not replicated in the insertional condition. Low energy shock wave therapy has been described as an alternative to these patients, but has yet to be empirically tested.HypothesisShock wave therapy, adjunctive to the eccentric strengthening protocol, will improve measures of pain and function.DesignDouble blind, placebo-controlled, parallel groups, randomised clinical trial.Materials and methods93 patients with a diagnosis of chronic insertional tendinopathy, referred from primary or secondary healthcare services, will be assessed and enrolled in this study. They will be divided into two groups (randomised by sequentially numbered identical envelopes, which will be administered serially to participants), one containing the combination of low energy shock wave and eccentric exercises, as treatment and the other comprehending the exercises and the placebo treatment (an apparatus placed in the therapeutic head). The assessments will occur in 2, 4, 6, 12 and 24 weeks. Patients will be evaluated primarily by the Victorian Institute of Sport Assessment-Achilles questionnaire and secondarily by the visual analogue scale, Algometry, the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society scale, the Foot and Ankle Outcome Score and the 12-item Short Form Health Survey. We will use comparison of two proportions via relative frequency analysis, the Pearson Correlation the χ2 test and the analysis of variance for statistical analyses.DiscussionThis study intends to demonstrate if the association of the eccentric exercise programme with the shock wave therapy can produce good results regarding the treatment of the Achilles insertional tendinopathy. In an attempt to prevent the high costs and complications associated with the surgical intervention, we will try to prove this combination as a viable therapeutic option in the conservative management of this prevalent condition. The strengths of the study are the design and the novelty of the combination of methods. The main limitation is the short follow-up course.Ethics and disseminationThe study is registered in the Clinical Trials database (protocol number: 8094833648737701) and was approved by the University Ethics Committee (number: 1373481).Trial registration number8094833648737701 (NCT02757664); Pre-results.

Project description:BackgroundExtracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) is used commonly to treat pain and function in Achilles tendinopathy (AT). The aim of this study was to synthesize the evidence from (non-) randomized controlled trials, to determine the clinical effectiveness of ESWT for mid-portion Achilles tendinopathy (mid-AT) and insertional Achilles tendinopathy (ins-AT) separately.MethodsWe searched PubMed/Medline, Embase (Ovid), and Cochrane Central, up to January 2021. Unpublished studies and gray literature were searched in trial registers (ACTRN, ChiCTR, ChiCtr, CTRI, DRKS, EUCTR, IRCT, ISRCTN, JPRN UMIN, ClinicalTrials.gov, NTR, TCTR) and databases (OpenGrey.eu, NARCIS.nl, DART-Europe.org, OATD.org). Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-randomized controlled clinical trials (CCTs) were eligible when investigating the clinical effectiveness of ESWT for chronic mid-AT or chronic ins-AT. We excluded studies that focused on treating individuals with systemic conditions, and studies investigating mixed cohorts of mid-AT and ins-AT, when it was not possible to perform a subgroup analysis for both clinical entities separately. Two reviewers independently performed the study selection, quality assessment, data extraction, and grading of the evidence levels. Discrepancies were resolved through discussion or by consulting a third reviewer when necessary.ResultsWe included three RCTs on mid-AT and four RCTs on ins-AT. For mid-AT, moderate quality of evidence was found for the overall effectiveness of ESWT compared to standard care, with a pooled mean difference (MD) on the VISA-A of 9.08 points (95% CI 6.35-11.81). Subgroup analysis on the effects of ESWT additional to standard care for mid-AT resulted in a pooled MD on the VISA-A of 10.28 points (95% CI 7.43-13.12). For ins-AT, we found very low quality of evidence, indicating that, overall, ESWT has no additional value over standard care, with a standardized mean difference (SMD) of - 0.02 (95% CI - 0.27 to 0.23). Subgroup analysis to determine the effect of ESWT additional to standard care for ins-AT showed a negative effect (SMD - 0.29; 95% CI - 0.56 to - 0.01) compared to standard care alone.ConclusionsThere is moderate evidence supporting the effectiveness of ESWT additional to a tendon loading program in mid-AT. Evidence supporting the effectiveness of ESWT for ins-AT is lacking.Trial registrationPROSPERO Database; No. CRD42021236107.

Project description:BackgroundPercutaneous Zadek osteotomy (ZO) has emerged as a surgical treatment of insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT) over the last decade. Existing literature is limited regarding the comparison of this approach with the more established, open ZO technique. This systematic review aims to evaluate and compare the current data on open vs percutaneous ZO approaches to help set evidence-based guidelines.MethodsA systematic literature search was performed using the keywords (Zadek osteotomy) OR (Keck and Kelly osteotomy) OR (dorsal closing wedge calcaneal osteotomy) OR (Haglund Deformity) OR (Haglund Syndrome) OR (Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy) and MeSH terms Osteotomy, Calcaneus, Syndrome, Insertional, Achilles tendon, and Tendinopathy. Our search included the following databases: PubMed, Embase, and the Cochrane Library. The PRISMA protocol and the Cochrane Handbook guidelines were followed. All studies included were published from 2009 to 2024 and included the use of open or percutaneous approaches of ZO for the treatment of IAT with at least a 12-month follow-up. The MINORS score criteria were used to evaluate the strength and quality of studies.ResultsA total of 17 studies were reviewed, including 611 subjects and 625 ZO procedures. Of these procedures, 81 (11%) subjects had a percutaneous and 544 (89%) subjects had an open ZO. The mean follow-up time was 16.1 months for patients treated with percutaneous ZO and 36.1 months for patients treated with open ZO. Both open and percutaneous studies included in this review showed postoperative improvements in AOFAS, FFI, VISA-A, and VAS scores in patients with IAT. The reported complication rate was 5.8% among patients treated with percutaneous ZO and 10.2% among patients treated with open ZO.ConclusionPercutaneous ZO is an emerging approach with substantially fewer documented cases compared with the open ZO. Both percutaneous and open ZO appear to be relatively effective treatments for insertional Achilles tendinopathy with Haglund's deformity. The lower complication rates reported for percutaneous ZO is encouraging. Further investigation with more subjects undergoing percutaneous ZO is clearly needed.