title: Achilles tendon rupture: physiotherapy and endoscopy-assisted surgical treatment of a common sports injury.
abstract: Although the Achilles tendon (AT) is the strongest tendon in the human body, rupture of this tendon is one of the most common sports injuries in the athletic population. Despite numerous nonoperative and operative methods that have been described, there is no universal agreement about the optimal management strategy of acute total AT ruptures. The management of AT ruptures should aim to minimize the morbidity of the injury, optimize rapid return to full function, and prevent complications. Since endoscopy-assisted percutaneous AT repair allows direct visualization of the synovia and protects the paratenon that is important in biological healing of the AT, this technique becomes a reasonable treatment option in AT ruptures. Furthermore, Achilles tendoscopy technique may decrease the complications about the sural nerve. Also, early functional postoperative physiotherapy following surgery may improve the surgical outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Turkey ; Department of Sports Medicine, Hacettepe University School of Medicine, Sihhiye, Ankara, Turkey.
authors.forename: Mahmut Nedim
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Doral
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bozkurt
authors.forename: Egemen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turhan
authors.forename: Gürhan
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dönmez
authors.forename: Murat
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Demirel
authors.forename: Defne
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kaya
authors.forename: Kıvanç
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ateşok
authors.forename: Ozgür Ahmet
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Atay
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maffulli
keywords: Achilles tendon rupture; endoscopic control; growth factors; percutaneous repair