title: Magnetic resonance imaging during healing of surgically repaired Achilles tendon ruptures.
abstract: Twenty consecutive patients with 21 surgically repaired Achilles tendon ruptures were imaged with a 0.1-T magnet at 3 and 6 weeks, and at 3 and 6 months after surgery. Clinical follow-up examinations and functional tests were performed at the time of scanning. An intratendinous area of high-intensity signal was observed in 19 of the 21 surgically repaired Achilles tendons at 3 months after surgery on proton density- and T2-weighted images. The three patients with the largest lesions had clinically poor outcomes at 3 months, whereas those with smaller intratendinous lesions had normal recoveries. Furthermore, patients with an abnormal walk at 3 months (N = 5) had statistically larger intratendinous lesions than patients who could walk normally. In all patients the cross-sectional area of the rejoined Achilles tendon showed the largest increase after cast removal (between 6 weeks and 3 months after surgery). In all cases the largest tendon area was measured at 3 months after surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging provides a precise valuable tool to evaluate the postsurgical internal structure of the surgically repaired Achilles tendon.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Finland.
authors.forename: P T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Karjalainen
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Aronen
authors.forename: H K
authors.initials: HK
authors.lastname: Pihlajamäki
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Soila
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Paavonen
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Böstman
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000293:injuries* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012421:Rupture / Q000601:surgery; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D013997:Time Factors; D014945:Wound Healing