FREE FUNCTIONAL FOLLOW-UP TREATMENT IN OP ERATED SUBCUTANEOUS ACHILLES-TENDON RUPTURE

Functional treatment regimens in favour of the idea of keeping up regu lar limited use of the extremities instead of immobilisation have cont inuously gained influence in orthopedic surgery. The knowledge that in consistently used biological systems degenerate has now widely become accepted. Immediate Achilles tendon tension reconstruction by means of minimal surgical incision and simple suture in addition with fibrin-g lue was performed in 51 patients. Age, sex-distribution, etiology, pre existing pain, rate of degenerative histologic findings and side of ru pture were similar to those reported in former studies with large numb ers of patients [2, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13]. Non weightbearing functional walking in a side supported ''basketball'' sports shoe (Adimed(R)) wi th gradually reduced heel support (initially 3 cm; complete removal re gaining neutral position of the ankle joint after 4 weeks) was advised for 6 weeks, after acute postop swelling had resolved. All tendons he aled and up to now (follow up period: 14 - 48 months - average: 26) no rerupture occurred. One insufficiency resulted from non compliance du e to alcoholism.