S. Rupp et al., ULTRASOUND OF THE ACHILLES-TENDON AFTER SURGICAL REPAIR - MORPHOLOGY AND FUNCTION, British journal of radiology, 68(809), 1995, pp. 454-458
Ultrasound is a well established method for the examination of the Ach
illes tendon. The objective of the study was to provide answers to the
following questions: What ultrasonographic structural changes are lon
g lasting after surgical repair? How important is ultrasound with rega
rds to the functional evaluation of late results? 60 patients were exa
mined at an average 11 years (2-19) after surgical repair of Achilles
tendon rupture. In only four patients sonographic morphology of the te
ndon was according to the non-injured side. A variety of distinct basi
c alterations in ultrasound morphology was found: a hypoechogenic ribb
on ventrally to the dorsal paratenon (n=40), spots of hypoechogenic ar
eas in the tendon (n=18), dishomogeneous hyperechogenicity with preser
vation (n=12) or dissolving (n=22) of its fibrillar components along t
he longitudinal axis. In most of the cases the paratenon was thickened
or could not be differentiated. In the dynamic ultrasound examination
gliding mechanism of the achilles tendon was limited in 41 patients.
Extensive functional subjective and objective parameters of all patien
ts were evaluated in an Achilles tendon score. The results were rated
as excellent (n=18), good (n=29), satisfactory (n=12) and poor (n=1).
There was no statistical correlation between ultrasound morphology and
clinical outcome. Therefore, it was concluded that ultrasound examina
tion is able to reveal long-lasting alterations in echogenicity of the
tendon but is only of limited value with regards to evaluation of the
functional results after surgical repair.