TY - JOUR
T1 - Achilles Tendon Injuries
T2 - A Comparison of Surgical Repair Versus No Repair in a Rat Model
AU - Murrell, George A.c.
AU - Lilly, Edward G.
AU - Collins, Alison
AU - Best, Thomas M.
AU - Seaber, Anthony V.
AU - Goldner, Richard D.
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was funded by the Piedmont Foundation, the Orthopaedic Research and Education Foundation (grant 92–031), and the Medical Research Council of Canada.
PY - 1993/9
Y1 - 1993/9
N2 - Controversy exists regarding the treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures. The aim of this study was to determine whether surgical repair of the rat Achilles tendon offered any biomechanical, functional, or morphological advantage over no repair. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into four groups: (1) sham operated (skin incision only), (2) no repair (complete division of the Achilles tendon and plantaris tendon without repair), (3) internal splint (plantaris left intact), and (4) Achilles repair (with a modified Kessler-type suture). Functional performance was determined from the measurements of hindpaw prints utilizing the Achilles Functional Index. On day 15, the animals were killed, and biomechanical and histological evaluations were performed on both the injured and uninjured Achilles tendon constructs. All groups subjected to Achilles tendon division had a significant initial functional impairment that gradually improved so that by day 15 there were no functional or failure load impairments in any group. The injured tendons in all three groups subjected to Achilles tendon division had a 13-fold increase in the cross-sectional area and were less stiff and more deformable than uninjured and sham-operated tendons on day 15 (P <.001). The magnitude of the biomechanical and morphological changes at postoperative day 15 and the initial impairment and rate of functional recovery were similar for no repair, internal splint, and Achilles repair groups. In summary, this study demonstrates that surgical repair of the Achilles tendon in the rat does not offer any advantage over nonoperative management.
AB - Controversy exists regarding the treatment of Achilles tendon ruptures. The aim of this study was to determine whether surgical repair of the rat Achilles tendon offered any biomechanical, functional, or morphological advantage over no repair. Thirty-two male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly allocated into four groups: (1) sham operated (skin incision only), (2) no repair (complete division of the Achilles tendon and plantaris tendon without repair), (3) internal splint (plantaris left intact), and (4) Achilles repair (with a modified Kessler-type suture). Functional performance was determined from the measurements of hindpaw prints utilizing the Achilles Functional Index. On day 15, the animals were killed, and biomechanical and histological evaluations were performed on both the injured and uninjured Achilles tendon constructs. All groups subjected to Achilles tendon division had a significant initial functional impairment that gradually improved so that by day 15 there were no functional or failure load impairments in any group. The injured tendons in all three groups subjected to Achilles tendon division had a 13-fold increase in the cross-sectional area and were less stiff and more deformable than uninjured and sham-operated tendons on day 15 (P <.001). The magnitude of the biomechanical and morphological changes at postoperative day 15 and the initial impairment and rate of functional recovery were similar for no repair, internal splint, and Achilles repair groups. In summary, this study demonstrates that surgical repair of the Achilles tendon in the rat does not offer any advantage over nonoperative management.
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U2 - 10.1177/107110079301400706
DO - 10.1177/107110079301400706
M3 - Article
C2 - 8406260
AN - SCOPUS:0027184312
VL - 14
SP - 400
EP - 406
JO - Foot and Ankle International
JF - Foot and Ankle International
SN - 1071-1007
IS - 7
ER -