About one fourth of Achilles tendon ruptures are diagnosed and treated late. Since there is no guideline in the time limits of conservative treatment in the delayed cases, the surgeon is often faced with the dilemma whether nonoperative treatment
is
guaranteed on the suspicion of the high rerupture rate
This study was attempted to compare the biomechanical tensile strengths of the five different gap distances of rabbit Achilles tendon, and to provide a new guideline for conservative treatment in the delayed cases.
A total of 60 adult rabbits were divided into five groups according to the gap distances of tenotomized Achilles tendon, 0mm, 5mm, 10mm, 15mm, and 20mm.
Experimental animals were sacrificed after four weeks of cast immobilization and the Achilles tendons were examined for maximum load.
The following results were obtained.
Maximum loads were decreased with increasing gap distances; 107,64±11,98N(0mm group), 98,30±19,67N(5mm group), 97,18±12,87N(10mm group), 83,59±15,88N(15mm group) and 73,12±18,74N(20mm group), There were statistical significances between the
0mm and
15mm groups, and 0mm and 20mm groups, In conclusion, these results suggest that the gap distances less than 10mm of ruptured Achilles tendon can be treated satisfactorily by the conservative cast treatment without regard to the lapse of time.
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