skip to content
Dovepress - Open Access to Scientific and Medical Research
View our mobile site

8852

Minimally invasive surgery for Achilles tendon pathologies

Mini-review

(2424) Views  (947) Full article downloads

Authors: Nicola Maffulli, Umile Giuseppe Longo, Filippo Spiezia, et al

Published Date July 2010 Volume 2010:1 Pages 95 - 103
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.2147/OAJSM.S7752

Nicola Maffulli1, Umile Giuseppe Longo2, Filippo Spiezia2, Vincenzo Denaro2

1Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London, England; 2Department of Orthopedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Bio-Medico University, Rome, Italy

Abstract: Minimally invasive trauma and orthopedic surgery is increasingly common, though technically demanding. Its use for pathologies of the Achilles tendon (AT) hold the promise to allow faster recovery times, shorter hospital stays, and improved functional outcomes when compared to traditional open procedures, which can lead to difficulty with wound healing because of the tenuous blood supply and increased chance of wound breakdown and infection. We present the recent advances in the field of minimally invasive AT surgery for tendinopathy, acute ruptures, chronic tears, and chronic avulsions of the AT. In our hands, minimally invasive surgery has provided similar results to those obtained with open surgery, with decreased perioperative morbidity, decreased duration of hospital stay, and reduced costs. So far, the studies on minimally invasive orthopedic techniques are of moderate scientific quality with short follow-up periods. Multicenter studies with longer follow-up are needed to justify the long-term advantages of these techniques over traditional ones.

Keywords: tendinopathy, rupture, percutanous repair, less invasive




 

Other articles by Professor Nicola Maffulli



Readers of this article also read:

Radiolucency below the crown of mandibular horizontal incompletely impacted third molars and acute inflammation in men with diabetes
Berberine: metabolic and cardiovascular effects in preclinical and clinical trials
Critical appraisal of the role of glucosamine and chondroitin in the management of osteoarthritis of the knee
Ego mechanisms of defense are associated with patients’ preference of treatment modality independent of psychological distress in end-stage renal disease
Can a gentamicin-specific chart reduce neonatal medication errors?
Health literacy and health seeking behavior among older men in a middle-income nation
Nephroprotective action of glycosaminoglycans: why the pharmacological properties of sulodexide might be reconsidered
Dashboards in neonatology
Anesthesiologists’ perception of patients’ anxiety under regional anesthesia
Everolimus-eluting stents: update on current clinical studies