Rehab needed soon after Achilles tendon repair

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Early rehabilitation is better than casting after surgical repair of Achilles tendon rupture, according to a report in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

The Achilles tendon is located in the back of the ankle and is a common site of sports injury. By attaching the calf muscles to the heel bone, it allows the foot to push the body into the air, a movement that occurs during walking or jumping.

"Acute Achilles tendon ruptures in young, active, cooperative people, and in athletes should be treated postoperatively with early motion," Dr. Juhana Leppilahti from Oulu University Hospital, Finland told Reuters Health.

Leppilahti and colleagues measured Achilles tendon elongation and clinical outcomes after rupture repair in 50 patients who were randomly selected to receive either early movement of the ankle in a brace or immobilization using a cast for 6 weeks.

The Achilles tendon elongated to a lesser extent in the early motion group than in the cast group, which is important since the less the tendon stretches, the better the functional outcome for the patient.

"Early mobilization is the method of choice in most...Achilles tendon ruptures," Leppilahti concluded. "I recommend casting in chronic ruptures, in old patients with systemic corticosteroid treatment, and in patients with poor cooperation."

SOURCE: The American Journal of Sports Medicine, January 2007.