ArticleSports health
Achilles Tendon Repairs: Identification of Risk Factors for and Economic Impact of Complications and Reoperation.
Article in Sports health. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers.
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Who cites it
11 citing papers in PubMed, 17 citations in OpenAlex.
- Incidence, Risk Factors, and Reasons for Emergency Department Utilization 90 Days After Achilles Tendon Repair.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Same Diagnosis, Different Outcomes: Clinical Impact of Tear Level and Gap Distance in Achilles Tendon Ruptures.Indian journal of orthopaedics · 2026Article
- Association of Morbid Obesity (BMI ≥40) With Postoperative Complications and Pain After Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy Achilles Splitting Surgical Treatment.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2026Article
- Revision Surgery for Achilles Tendon Rupture: A Comprehensive Review of Treatment Options, Outcomes, and Complications and the Role of Artificial Intelligence.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2025Review
- Proper Patient Selection and Choosing the Right Treatment: The Recipe for Good Clinical Outcomes.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Long-Term Preoperative Nonsteroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Use Does Not Impact Revision Rate After Repair of Rotator Cuff, Achilles, Distal Biceps, or Quadriceps Tendon.Arthroscopy, sports medicine, and rehabilitation · 2025Article
- Towards Achilles Tendon Injury Prevention in Athletes with Structural MRI Biomarkers: A Machine Learning Approach.Sports medicine - open · 2024Article
- Derivation and validation of a risk calculator for the prediction of incidence of complications following repair of Achilles Tendon Rupture.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2024Article
- The Influence of Patient Characteristics and Social Determinants of Health on Postoperative Complications Following Achilles Tendon Rupture.Foot & ankle international · 2024Article
- Achilles tendon rupture primary repair technique: A comparative retrospective study between graft versus no-graft.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2024Article
- Operative vs Nonoperative Management of Achilles Tendon Rupture: A Cost Analysis.Foot & ankle orthopaedics · 2023Article
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Authors and funding
8 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundCompared with nonoperative management, Achilles tendon repair is associated with increased rates of complications and increased initial healthcare cost. However, data are currently lacking on the risk factors for these complications and the added healthcare cost associated with common preoperative comorbidities. HYPOTHESIS: Identify the independent risk factors for complications and reoperation after acute Achilles tendon repair and calculate the added cost of care associated with having each preoperative risk factor. STUDY
designRetrospective cohort study. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level 3.
methodsA retrospective review of a large commercial claims database was performed to identify patients who underwent primary operative management for Achilles tendon rupture between 2007 and 2016. The primary outcome measures of the study were risk factors for (1) postoperative complications, (2) revision surgery, and (3) increased healthcare resource utilization.
resultsA total of 50,279 patients were included. The overall complication rate was 2.7%. The most common 30-day complication was venous thromboembolism (1.2%). The rate of revision surgery was 2.5% at 30 days and 4.3% at 2 years. Independent risk factors for 30-day complications in our cohort included increasing age, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, female sex, obesity, and diabetes. Independent risk factors for revision surgery within 2 years included female sex, tobacco use, hypertension, obesity, and the presence of any postoperative complication. The average 5-year cost of operative intervention was $17,307. The need for revision surgery had the largest effect on 5-year overall cost, increasing it by $6776.40. This was followed by the presence of a postoperative complication ($3780), female sex ($3207.70), and diabetes ($3105).
conclusionAchilles tendon repair is a relatively low-risk operation. Factors associated with postoperative complications include increasing age, hyperlipidemia, hypertension, female sex, obesity, and diabetes. Factors associated with the need for revision surgery include female sex, hypertension, obesity, and the presence of any postoperative complication. Female sex, diabetes, the presence of any complication, and the need for revision surgery had the largest added costs associated with them. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Surgeons can use this information for preoperative decision-making and during the informed consent process.
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