• Zhibo Deng, Zhi Li, Chen Shen, Xianding Sun, Ting Wang, Mao Nie, and Kaiying Tang.
• Center for Joint Surgery, Department of Orthopedic, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Linjiang Road No.76, Yuzhong District, Chongqing, 400010, China.
• Arch Orthop Trauma Surg. 2023 Apr 1; 143 (4): 204720532047-2053.

IntroductionOptimal 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 MethodsThis 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.ResultsThere 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.ConclusionEarly 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 NoChiCTR2100043398.© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.

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