RESUMO
PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess whether variances in Achilles tendon elongation are linked to dissimilarities in the plantar pressure distribution following two different surgical approaches for an Achilles tendon rupture (ATR). METHODS: All patients who were treated with open or minimally invasive surgical repair (MIS) and were over 2 years post their ATR were eligible for inclusion. A total of 65 patients with an average age of 43 ± 11 years were included in the study. Thirty-five patients were treated with open repair, and 30 patients were treated with MIS. Clinical outcomes were evaluated using the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) and ATR Score (ATRS). Achilles tendon elongation was measured using axial and sagittal magnetic resonance imaging scans. Plantar pressure measurements for the forefoot, midfoot and hindfoot during gait were divided into percentages based on total pressure, measured in g/cm2 for each area. RESULTS: The average AOFAS score was found 'excellent' (93 ± 2.8) in the MIS group, while it was found 'good' (87.4 ± 5.6) in the open repair group. In addition, the MIS group showed significantly superior ATRS scores (78.8 ± 7.4) compared to the open repair group (56.4 ± 15.4) (p < 0.001). The average tendon elongation in the MIS group was 11.3 ± 2 mm, while it was 17.3 ± 4.3 mm (p < 0.001) in the open repair group. While the open repair group showed significantly higher plantar pressure distribution in the initial contact and preswing phases compared to uninjured extremities, there was no significant difference between the uninjured extremities and the MIS group. CONCLUSION: In conclusion, the findings of this study demonstrated that minimally invasive surgery was associated with less tendon elongation, more proximity to the plantar pressure distributions of the uninjured extremity and superior clinical outcomes compared to open surgical repair. Therefore, minimally invasive surgery may be considered a more suitable option for acute Achilles tendon repair to achieve overall better outcomes. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III.
RESUMO
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate musculoskeletal injuries, clinical follow-ups and treatments of trauma patients admitted to our hospital after the 2023 Kahramanmaras earthquake. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Between February 6th, 2023 and February 16th, 2023, a total of 957 trauma patients (452 males, 505 females; mean age: 36.2±19.9 years; range, 0 to 97 years) who were affected by the earthquake were retrospectively analyzed. Age, sex, presence of orthopedic consultation, diagnosis of open/closed fracture, diagnosis of dislocation, presence and classification of soft tissue injury, additional system injury, preoperative and postoperative neurovascular examination status, presence of compartment syndrome, conservative/surgical applications, operation side, fasciotomy surgery and level, amputation surgery and level, length of stay in the hospital and intensive care unit (ICU), the Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) score were collected. RESULTS: A total of 811 of the survivors were Turkish and 146 were Syrians. Of 957 earthquake victims, 40% had soft tissue injuries, 19% had closed fractures, 8.9% had other system injuries, 7.7% had crush injuries, 4.1% had nerve injuries, 2.1% had compartment syndrome, 2.1% had vascular injury, 1.8% had dislocation, and 1.7% had open fracture. Surgical or conservative treatments were applied to 574 patients with musculoskeletal injuries. Conservative treatment was applied to 322 of 574 patients and surgical procedure was applied to 252 patients. CONCLUSION: The highest patient density is experienced within the first 24 h after a devastating earthquake. The most common injuries due to high-energy trauma are isolated soft tissue injuries and fractures. The definition of the demographic characteristics and clinical outcomes of earthquake patients is critical to the development of preparedness, response, and recovery policies for future disasters..