Rehabilitation regimen for non-surgical treatment of Achilles tendon rupture: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials

Lower re-rupture rates but higher complication rates following surgical versus conservative treatment of acute achilles tendon ruptures: a systematic review of overlapping meta-analyses

PURPOSE

To systematically review and evaluate the current meta-analyses for the treatment of acute Achilles tendon rupture (AATR). This study can provide clinicians with a clear overview of the current literature to aid clinical decision-making and the optimal formulation of treatment plans for AATR.

METHODS

Two independent reviewers searched PubMed and Embase on June 2, 2022 based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Assessment of evidence was twofold: level of evidence (LoE) and quality of evidence (QoE). LoE was evaluated using published criteria by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the QoE by the Assessing the Methodological Quality of Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR) scale. Pooled complication rates were highlighted for significance in favour of one treatment arm or no significance.

RESULTS

There were 34 meta-analyses that met the eligibility criteria, with 28 studies of LoE 1, and the mean QoE was 9.8 ± 1.2. Significantly lower re-rupture rates were reported with surgical (2.3-5%) versus conservative treatment (3.9-13%), but conservative treatment was favoured in terms of lower complication rates. The re-rupture rates were not significantly different between percutaneous repair or minimally invasive surgery (MIS) compared to open repair, but MIS was favoured in terms of lower complication rates (7.5-10.4%). When comparing rehabilitation protocols following open repair (four studies), conservative treatment (nine studies), or combined (three studies), there was no significant difference in terms of re-rupture or obvious advantage in terms of lower complication rates between early versus later rehabilitation.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review found that surgical treatment was significantly favoured over conservative treatment for re-rupture, but conservative treatment had lower complication rates other than re-rupture, notably for infections and sural nerve injury. Open repair had similar re-rupture rates to MIS, but lower complication rates; however, the rate of sural nerve injuries was lower in open repair. When comparing earlier versus later rehabilitation, there was no difference in re-rupture rates or obvious advantage in complications between open repair, conservative treatment, or when combined. The findings of this study will allow clinicians to effectively counsel their patients on the postoperative outcomes and complications associated with different treatment approaches for AATR.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV.

Outcomes of early versus late functional weight-bearing after the acute Achilles tendon rupture repair with minimally invasive surgery: a randomized controlled trial

INTRODUCTION

Optimal postoperative rehabilitation regimen for acute Achilles tendon rupture (AATR) remains unclear. It is important to evaluate whether early functional weight-bearing rehabilitation program after minimally invasive repair results in an earlier return to pre-injury activity but increases the risk of re-rupture.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This was a prospective randomized controlled trial involving 68 AATR patients undergoing minimally invasive surgery. 34 patients were enrolled in early weight‑bearing mobilization accelerated rehabilitation group (AR group); 34 patients were enrolled in the traditional rehabilitation (TR) group. Outcomes measures included American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society Score (AOFAS) score and Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) score before surgery and 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery, incidence rate of Achilles tendon re-rupture and total complications, length of hospital stay, time return to work and sports.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in preoperative basic data between the two groups. However, AOFAS score and ATRS score were better in AR group than TR group at 3 months postoperatively (92.4 ± 3.5 vs 88.3 ± 4.5, P < 0.01; 91.1 ± 4.4 vs 88.9 ± 3.4, P = 0.03, respectively), the mean length of hospital stay (4.7 ± 1.5 vs 7.6 ± 2.0 days, P < 0.01) and time return to work (4.5 ± 1.0 vs 7.5 ± 1.6 weeks, P < 0.01) were shorter in AR group than in TR group. No statistical significance was calculated in patient-reported outcomes during the rest of the follow-up time and complications.

CONCLUSION

Early accelerated rehabilitation with weight-bearing in patients with AATR after minimally invasive surgery results in better early functional outcomes and shows similar security and feasibility.

REGISTRATION NO

ChiCTR2100043398.

Rehabilitation following operative treatment of acute Achilles tendon ruptures: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusion

Early versus late weightbearing in conservative management of acute achilles tendon rupture: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

BACKGROUND

Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) is one of the most frequently encountered injuries in Sports Medicine. ATR can be managed surgically or conservatively followed by early functional rehabilitation or cast immobilization. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis was to provide an update about the role of early weightbearing (WB) versus late WB on the clinical outcomes of adults with acute ATR.

METHODS

We performed a systematic literature search in Web of Science, Ovid, Medline/PubMed, and CENTRAL. We included randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared early WB, defined as weight-bearing within 4 weeks of treatment, to late WB for individuals with acute (<14 days) ATR. We sought to evaluate the following outcomes: re-rupture rate, Achilles Tendon Rupture Score (ATRS), return to pre-injury sport activity, time to return to work, and adverse event rate. The standardized mean difference (SMD) was used to represent continuous outcomes while the risk ratio (RR) was used to represent dichotomous outcomes.

RESULTS

A total of 9 RCTs that enrolled 1046 participants were deemed eligible. There was no significant difference between early WB and late WB in terms of re-rupture rate (RR=0.75, 95% CI 0.49 to 1.16), ATRS (SMD=0.06, 95% CI -0.03 to 0.16), return to pre-injury sport activity (RR=1.05, 95% CI 0.86 to 1.28), time to return to work (SMD=0.03, 95% CI -0.20 to 0.26), or adverse event rate (RR=1.87, 95% CI 0.53 to 6.63).

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis shows no difference in the functional outcomes and patient-reported outcomes between early functional rehabilitation and cast immobilization for conservatively treat individuals with acute ATR.

Jigless knotless internal brace versus other open Achilles tendon repairs using a progressive rehabilitation protocol: a biomechanical study

BACKGROUND

The jigless knotless internal brace surgery (JKIB), a modified minimal invasive surgery (MIS) for acute Achilles tendon injury, has advantages of preventing sural-nerve injury in MIS and superficial wound infection in open surgery, as demonstrated in previous clinical research. However, to date, biomechanical testing has not yet been validated.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Sixty fresh porcine Achilles tendons were used to compare the JKIB with other open surgery techniques, the four-stranded Krackow suture (4sK) and the triple-bundle suture (TBS) in biomechanical testing with cyclic loading set at 1 Hz. This approach simulated a progressive rehabilitation protocol where 20-100 N was applied in the first 1000 cycles, followed by 20-190 N in the second 1000 cycles, and then 20-369 N in the third 1000 cycles. The cycles leading to repair gaps of 2 mm, 5 mm, and 10 mm were recorded. The survival cycles were defined as repair gap of 10 mm.

RESULTS

With respect to survival cycles, a significant difference was found among the three groups, in which the TBS was the most robust, followed by the JKIB and the 4sK, where the mean survived cycles were 2639.3 +/- 263.55, 2073.6 +/- 319.92, and 1425.25 +/- 268.96, respectively. Significant differences were verified via a post hoc analysis with the Mann-Whitney U test after the Bonferroni correction (p < 0.017).

CONCLUSIONS

The TBS was the strongest suture structure in acute Achilles tendon repair. However, the JKIB could be an option in acute Achilles tendon repair with the MIS technique due to it being more robust than the 4sK, which has been typically favored for use in open repair.