Endoscopy, assisted percutaneous repair of the Achilles tendon ruptures: a cadaveric and clinical study.

Endoscopy-assisted percutaneous repair of Achilles tendon ruptures were investigated in a cadaveric and clinical study. Sixteen above-knee fresh amputation specimens in which different types of Achilles tendon ruptures were created were repaired percutaneously with the visualization of the tendon ends by endoscopy. Neither malalignment nor damage to the neurovascular structures was observed. Eleven patients were treated in this way. No reruptures, wound problems, or neurovascular injury were observed. All patients returned to daily activities 10-11 weeks after the repair. This technique seems to overcome certain problems of conservative, surgical, or percutaneous repair of the Achilles tendon ruptures.