A case of "fresh rupture" after open repair of a ruptured Achilles tendon.

Abstract

We present the case of Achilles tendon rupture in a 54-year-old man while rehabilitating after end-to-end open repair of an acute Achilles tendon rupture. Re-rupture after surgical repair of Achilles tendon is well known. The present case, however, is atypical, because the second rupture occurred significantly proximal to the first rupture. To our knowledge, this is the first time this has been described in English language studies. We have termed this incident a fresh rupture. A gastrocnemius turndown flap was used to repair the fresh rupture, which led to a satisfactory recovery. This case report serves to inform surgeons of the existence of this type of Achilles tendon rupture, while considering the possible etiologies and suggesting a technique that has been shown to be successful in the present case.