Rehabilitation after Achilles tendon rupture surgery

Achilles tendon rupture is a relatively serious accidental injury, which is common in some athletes. For ordinary people, external force or improper exercise may cause Achilles tendon rupture. At this time, it is necessary to undergo surgery in time to repair the ruptured Achilles tendon in time. After the operation, you must emphasize maintenance and pay attention to diet and health. Only in this way can the harm be minimized.

Rehabilitation after Achilles tendon rupture surgery

1. Fresh Achilles tendon rupture

There are two different approaches to the treatment of fresh Achilles tendon rupture: conservative and surgical. The former is treated by using an above-knee tubular cast to fix the foot in extreme plantar flexion or by using a splint with the knee flexed and the foot in plantar flexion. Conservative treatment is often ineffective because the Achilles tendon loses its toughness due to excessive scar tissue between ruptures, and the Achilles tendon is relatively elongated, which weakens the plantar flexion force. Therefore, most scholars are in favor of surgical treatment to restore the integrity and toughness of the Achilles tendon and restore the strength of the triceps surae as soon as possible. In children with Achilles tendon rupture, the gastrocnemius muscle has low tension and strong tissue repair and regeneration capabilities, so the surgery uses thick silk thread "8" suture, and tenoplasty or fascia repair is used at the same time. In athletes should be repaired. After the operation, the ankle joint was plantar flexed and the knee was flexed 30°. The long-leg plaster was used for fixation. After 3 weeks, it was changed to a high-heeled short-leg plaster and routine quadriceps exercises were performed. After 6-8 weeks, the plaster was removed and ankle joint functional exercises were performed.

2. Chronic Achilles tendon rupture

Because of the atrophy and contracture of the gastrocnemius muscle, there is a distance between the broken ends. Therefore, old ruptures often require Achilles tendon repair rather than forced end-to-end anastomosis to avoid foot drop deformity due to Achilles tendon shortening.

Precautions

Because the range of motion and/or muscle strength have not yet reached normal, patients should be frequently encouraged to continue correcting their movements. The most common complications at this stage are muscle soreness and Achilles tendonitis caused by patients increasing their activity levels on their own. Patients may increase their activity on their own without adequate lower extremity strength, and rehabilitation physicians must continue to emphasize activity limitations to patients. If patients go to the gym for rehabilitation training, they must follow the treatment plan and cannot increase the dosage without permission.