MR evaluation of chronic Achilles tendinosis. A longitudinal study of 15 patients preoperatively and two years postoperatively.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate surgically treated patients with chronic Achilles tendinosis by MR.


METHODS
Gd-contrast-enhanced (CME) T1-, precontrast T1-, PD- and T2-weighted images were obtained preoperatively and 2 years following surgical treatment on 15 middle-aged patients with severe symptoms of chronic Achilles tendinosis. MR evaluation included the depiction of intratendinous signal alterations and their volume, and also measurement of tendon diameter. A questionnaire and clinical examination evaluated the clinical outcome.


RESULTS
The most sensitive sequence to depict an intratendinous lesion was the CME T1-WI. There was marked regress of the estimated volume of the intratendinous signal alteration from a median of 1.2 cm3 preoperatively to 0.0 cm3 postoperatively on CME T1-WI. CME T1-WI showed a regress in intratendinous signal abnormality from 13 out of 15 patients preoperatively to 4 of 15 patients 2 years postoperatively. The a.p. dimension was 9 mm at both MR occasions. The clinical outcome was excellent in 8, good in 5, fair in 1 and poor in 1 patient.


CONCLUSIONS
Surgical treatment of chronic Achilles tendinosis and its healing resulted in a decrease or elimination of the intratendinous signal alteration correlating to an improved clinical outcome 2 years postoperatively.
Shalabi
A
A
Department of Radiology, Huddinge University Hospital, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
Kristoffersen-Wiberg
M
M
Aspelin
P
P
Movin
T
T
D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003287:Contrast Media; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D052256:Tendinopathy / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000601:surgery
D003287:Contrast Media; D019786:Gadolinium DTPA