SLR - September 2010 - Japheth Ogamba Mongare
Reference: Livio Quagliarella, MS; Nicola Sasanelli, PhD; Angela Notarnicola, MS; Giuseppe Belgiovine, MS; Lorenzo Moretti, MS; Biagio Moretti, MS (2010). Comparative functional analysis of two different Achilles tendon surgical repairs. Foot and ankle international/vol.31,No.4.April 2010
Scientific Literature Reviews
Reviewed by: Japheth Ogamba Mongare, D.P.M/PGY2
Residency Program: University Hospitals Richmond Medical Center/OCPM
Podiatric Relevance:
This study provides comparative functional outcomes of two Achilles tendon surgical repair techniques.
Methods:
Fifty-one subjects were analyzed with this retrospective study design. An experimental group consisted of 34 patients with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Nineteen of these patients were operated on with an open surgical reconstruction without reinforcement (open group), while 15 underwent a minimally-invasive procedure (mini-invasive group). In addition, a control group consisting of 17 healthy subjects was analyzed.
The assessment was based on the standing vertical jump, in both countermovement jump and squat jump mode, studying the relative flight times and the coordination of movement of each limb. An accelerometer was fastened to each ankle to obtain an independent assessment of the movement of each limb.
Results:
The surgically treated patients showed a comparative functional performance to that of the control group, but despite this full recovery they showed a tendency to favor the affected limb. This finding was more marked in the mini-invasive group. The control group invariably showed better coordination of limb movement than the two experimental groups. This was particularly apparent in the take-off phase of the gait cycle, as indicated by asymmetrical push-off of the two limbs.
Conclusion:
On the basis of their findings, the jumping evaluation used in this study resulted in similar results between the open and the mini-invasive techniques, but more studies are needed to support these findings.