Surgical tip: Repair of acute Achilles rupture with Krackow suture through a 1.5 cm medial wound

Abstract

Acute Achilles tendon ruptures is one of the commonest tendon injury of the foot and ankle. The management of this problem is still controversial. Treatment can be classified into non-surgical and surgical types. Surgical management can be subdivided into open repair, percutaneous with or without adjunct of arthroscopy. In compare with non-surgical management, surgical management will decrease the tendon re-rupture rate. However, the possible surgical complications including wound breakdown and sural nerve injury are still quite significant. Percutaneous repair technique has the advantage of less chance of wound breakdown, but the rate of tendon re-rupture is higher than that after open tendon repair, because the repair is usually weaker than that achieved in open repair. Lui have described an endoscopic assisted repair with the Krackow locking suture. However, the technique is complicated and six portal wounds are needed. A simpler way of applying the Krackow suture through the portal wound has been described for reattachment of Achilles tendon insertion after endoscopic calcaneoplasty. We describe a mini-open approach of Achilles tendon repair with the Krackow locking suture. By means of release of the medial edge of the investing fascia, the Achilles tendon can be mobilized easily and the Krackow locking suture can be applied through a 1.5cm medial wound. Hopefully, this can improve the strength of repair and maintaining the advantage of minimally invasive tendon repair.