Thorsten Schepull1, Per Aspenberg. 1. Orthopedics, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Linköping University, 58185, Linköping, Sweden, thorsten.schepull@lio.se.
Abstract
PURPOSE: This study tests the idea of using radiodensity from computed tomography to quantitatively evaluate the healing of ruptured Achilles tendons. METHODS: The radiodensity of the healing tendons in sixty-five patients who were treated for Achilles tendon rupture was measured. The hypothesis was that density would correlate with an estimate for e-modulus, derived from strain, measured by radiostereometry with different mechanical loadings. RESULTS: Radiodensity 7 weeks after injury was decreased to 67 % (SD 11) of the contralateral, uninjured tendon. There was no improvement in radiodensity from 7 to 19 weeks, whereas at 1 year, it had increased to 106 % (SD 7). Only 2 of 52 measured values at 1 year were lower than the highest value at 19 weeks, i.e. there was minimal overlap. The variation in radiodensity could explain 80 % of the variation in e-modulus, but radiodensity correlated only weakly with e-modulus at each time point separately. At 1 year, both radiodensity and e-modulus correlated with functional results, although weakly. CONCLUSIONS: From 19 weeks onwards, radiodensity appears to reflect mechanical properties of the tendon and might to some extent predict the final outcome. Radiodensity at 7 weeks is difficult to interpret, probably because it reflects both callus and damaged tissues.
PURPOSE: This study tests the idea of using radiodensity from computed tomography to quantitatively evaluate the healing of ruptured Achilles tendons. METHODS: The radiodensity of the healing tendons in sixty-five patients who were treated for Achilles tendon rupture was measured. The hypothesis was that density would correlate with an estimate for e-modulus, derived from strain, measured by radiostereometry with different mechanical loadings. RESULTS: Radiodensity 7 weeks after injury was decreased to 67 % (SD 11) of the contralateral, uninjured tendon. There was no improvement in radiodensity from 7 to 19 weeks, whereas at 1 year, it had increased to 106 % (SD 7). Only 2 of 52 measured values at 1 year were lower than the highest value at 19 weeks, i.e. there was minimal overlap. The variation in radiodensity could explain 80 % of the variation in e-modulus, but radiodensity correlated only weakly with e-modulus at each time point separately. At 1 year, both radiodensity and e-modulus correlated with functional results, although weakly. CONCLUSIONS: From 19 weeks onwards, radiodensity appears to reflect mechanical properties of the tendon and might to some extent predict the final outcome. Radiodensity at 7 weeks is difficult to interpret, probably because it reflects both callus and damaged tissues.
Authors: Thorsten Schepull; Joanna Kvist; Hanna Norrman; Marie Trinks; Gösta Berlin; Per Aspenberg Journal: Am J Sports Med Date: 2010-11-03 Impact factor: 6.202
Authors: Katarina Nilsson-Helander; Roland Thomeé; Karin Grävare Silbernagel; Karin Grävare-Silbernagel; Pia Thomeé; Eva Faxén; Bengt I Eriksson; Jon Karlsson Journal: Am J Sports Med Date: 2006-12-07 Impact factor: 6.202
Authors: Mathias Wulf; Mihir Shanker; Michael Schuetz; Michael Lutz; Christian M Langton; Sue L Hooper; James E Smeathers; Torsten Brauner; Scott C Wearing Journal: Knee Surg Sports Traumatol Arthrosc Date: 2017-06-28 Impact factor: 4.342
Authors: Hugo J W Fung; Angela M Cheung; Sunita Mathur; Eva Szabo; Andy K O Wong Journal: J Musculoskelet Neuronal Interact Date: 2022-06-01 Impact factor: 1.864
Authors: Pernilla Eliasson; Christian Couppé; Markus Lonsdale; René B Svensson; Christian Neergaard; Michael Kjær; Lars Friberg; S Peter Magnusson Journal: Eur J Nucl Med Mol Imaging Date: 2016-04-13 Impact factor: 9.236
Authors: Evan Finnamore; Charlotte Waugh; Lyndal Solomons; Michael Ryan; Christopher West; Alexander Scott Journal: PLoS One Date: 2019-02-20 Impact factor: 3.240
Authors: Michael R Carmont; Jennifer A Zellers; Annelie Brorsson; Nicklas Olsson; Katarina Nilsson-Helander; Jon Karlsson; Karin Grävare Silbernagel Journal: Orthop J Sports Med Date: 2017-08-23