• Carlos De la Fuente, Roberto Peña y Lillo, Gabriel Carreño, and Hugo Marambio.
• Biomechanics Unit, Centro de Investigaciones Médicas del Instituto Traumatológico "Teodoro Gebauer Weisser", Santiago 8340220, Chile; Carrera de Kinesiología, UDA Cs Salud, Facultad Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago 7820436, Chile; Mechanics Department, Engineer Faculty, USACH, Santiago 717835, Chile; Kinesiology and Clinical Biomechanics Program, UMCE, Santiago 7780450, Chile. Electronic address: delafuentte@gmail.com.
• Foot (Edinb). 2016 Mar 1; 26: 15-22.

BackgroundRupture of the Achilles tendon is a common injury during working years. Aggressive rehabilitation may provide better outcomes, but also a greater chance of re-rupture.ObjectiveTo determine if aggressive rehabilitation has better clinical outcomes for Achilles tendon function, Triceps surae function, one-leg heel rise capacity and lower complication rate during twelve weeks after percutaneous Achilles tendon repair compared to conventional rehabilitation.DesignRandomized controlled trial.MethodThirty-nine patients were prospectively randomized. The aggressive group (n=20, 41.4 ± 8.3 years) received rehabilitation from the first day after surgery. The conventional group (n=19, 41.7 ± 10.7 years) rested for 28 days, before rehabilitation started. The statistical parameters were the Achilles tendon rupture score (ATRS), verbal pain scale, time to return to work, pain medication consumption, Achilles tendon strength, dorsiflexion range of motion (RoM), injured-leg calf circumference, calf circumference difference, one-leg heel rise repetition and difference, re-rupture rate, strength deficit rate, and other complication rates. Mixed-ANOVA and Bonferroni's post hoc test were performed for multiple comparisons. Student's t-test was performed for parameters measured on the 12th week.ResultsThe aggressive group with respect to the conventional group had a higher ATRS; lower verbal pain score; lower pain medication consumption; early return to work; higher Achilles tendon strength; higher one-leg heel rise repetitions; and lower one-leg heel rise difference. The re-rupture rate was 5% and 5%, the strength deficit rate was 42% and 5%, and other complications rate was 11% and 15% in the conventional and aggressive group, respectively.ConclusionPatients with Dresden repair and aggressive rehabilitation have better clinical outcomes, Achilles tendon function and one-leg heel rise capacity without increasing the postoperative complications rate after 12 weeks compared to rehabilitation with immobilization and non-weight-bearing during the first 28 days after surgery.Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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