Ten-year follow-up of functional and biomechanical outcomes after open double-Tajima repair for acute Achilles tendon rupture in non-competitive adults.
Achilles tendon function after double-Tajima repair matched the uninjured leg at 10 years.
Ten-year follow-up of functional and biomechanical outcomes after open double-Tajima repair for acute Achilles tendon rupture in non-competitive adults.
This study aims to evaluate the clinical and objective biomechanical outcomes at a minimum 10-year follow-up following open double-Tajima repair combined with a structured functional loading protocol.
Between January 2011 and December 2014, a total of 47 consecutive non-competitive adults (Tegner Activity Scale ≤ 4) with acute unilateral Achilles tendon rupture treated with open double-Tajima repair and an eight-week functional loading protocol were included in this retrospective cohort study.
no meaningful difference from the uninjured side at 10 years
Of the patients, 35 were male and 12 were female with a mean age at the time of surgery of 36.7 ± 6.6 (range, 22 to 55) years.
The rupture involved the dominant limb in 29 patients (61.7%) and the non-dominant limb in 18 patients (38.3%).
No statistically significant between-limb differences were detected across the secondary outcomes, including peak torque at 30°/s, total work at 120°/s, joint position sense, and ankle/calf circumference (p ≥ 0.09 for all).
The complication rate was 4.3% (2/47): one partial rerupture managed conservatively and one superficial wound infection treated with oral antibiotics.
Open double-Tajima repair combined with a structured functional loading protocol seems to be associated with clinically acceptable long-term outcomes in this cohort of non-competitive adults.
However, given the retrospective, single-cohort design without an independent comparison group or formal equivalence framework, these findings should be interpreted as descriptive long-term observations.