title: Minimally invasive repair of the tibialis anterior tendon using a semitendinosus autograft.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ruptures of the tibialis anterior tendon are rare but can cause substantial functional deficiencies. The literature regarding the treatment of such injuries is very limited. Atraumatic ruptures often occur in the presence of an abnormal tendon structure, and retraction often makes end-to-end repair impossible. With traumatic lesions, the risk of developing both adhesions and scar tissue is high.
  
  
  METHODS
  This study assesses the results of a surgical reconstruction using the interposition of a semitendinosus tendon autograft in 12 patients. Three patients had a traumatic rupture, and 9 patients had an atraumatic rupture. In 8 patients, the procedure was carried out using a minimally invasive technique.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average postoperative American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot score was 95.7 in the atraumatic group and 94.7 in the traumatic group. Active dorsiflexion was possible after 2 to 3 weeks. We believe that the interposition of a strong, healthy tendon facilitated healing and allowed early weight bearing. All patients had good recovery of dorsiflexion and gait.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Repairing a ruptured tibialis anterior tendon using a semitendinosus autograft was a reliable technique and offered a good result. With the minimally invasive approach, there was no need to divide the extensor retinaculum, which we believe allowed faster recovery and reduced the risk of adhesions and wound healing problems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level IV, retrospective case series.
authors.affiliation: Orthopaedic Department, AZ Groeninge Kortrijk, Kortrijk, Belgium.
authors.forename: Frederick
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Michels
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Der Bauwhede
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Oosterlinck
authors.forename: Sam
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.forename: Stéphane
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guillo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D064592:Autografts; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000601:surgery*; D013709:Tendon Transfer / Q000379:methods; D013710:Tendons / Q000637:transplantation*; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D014945:Wound Healing
keywords: interposition; minimally invasive; rupture; semitendinosus; tendon transfer; tibialis anterior tendon