Der Orthopäde
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Rupture of the Achilles tendon has become more common in recent years. Operative repair is the treatment generally used but non-surgical therapy is being accepted by an increasing number of surgeons because of the reports of good results with conservative treatment. Ultrasonographic examination not only allows an exact diagnosis to be made in muscle and tendon injuries, but also observation of the healing processes. ⋯ We observed complete healing in all patients, absence of complications and excellent functional results. The morbidity of the patients was lower than with operative treatment and no hospital stay was needed. In conclusion, in our opinion ultrasound-controlled conservative functional treatment of rupture of the Achilles tendon should be used more frequently in future.