Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Devices
Open Access

Abstract

Comparative Study Between the Minimally Invasive and Conventional Techniques Opened for Repair of Heel Bone Tendon Injury

Renê André Reinig Carvalho and Cíntia Kelly Bittar

Objective: To compare the minimally invasive technique, using a short fibula tendon, with the conventional open technique, associated with semitendinous tendon reinforcement to repair calcaneus tendon injuries and present functional clinical results, degree of satisfaction and complications found.
Method: Retrospective study including 43 patients with traumatic or degenerative calcaneus tendon lesions, evaluating average age, laterality, surgical techniques used, clinical-functional evaluation with AOFAS questionnaire and complications.
Results: Sixteen patients were treated with a minimally invasive technique with a short fibula tendon graft and twenty-seven with an open technique with a semitendinous tendon graft, with an average age of 45.05 years. There were 86% male, 55.8% left lateral, 27.9% with degenerative lesions and 72.1% with traumatic lesions. The clinical functional results were obtained by the AOFAS questionnaire in the postoperative period, after an average time of two years. In cases of open suture, there were three complications in the donor area (11.1%), with complaints of pain and insensitivity, three complications in the recipient area (superficial skin necrosis, deep skin necrosis and suture dehiscence), totaling six patients (22.2%) with postoperative complications. In cases of minimally invasive suture, three complications occurred (18.8%), but all cases were solved early.
Conclusion: The minimally invasive technique using a short fibula tendon as a graft is a good option for the reconstruction of acute and chronic calcaneus tendon injuries, being considered superior to the open technique in both situations, since it causes lower rates of complications, especially late complications, and morbidity.