Trial reportJournal of orthopaedic surgery and research2025
Open surgery and minimally invasive repair of acute Achilles tendon rupture: stratified outcomes based on immobilization duration in a prospective cohort study.
Trial report in Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04663542 (A Prospective Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial on the Comparison of the Treatment Outcomes of Different Immobilization Times After the Repair of Achilles Tendon Rupture), which is not on this map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
A Prospective Randomized Controlled Clinical Trial on the Comparison of the Treatment Outcomes of Different Immobilization Times After the Repair of Achilles Tendon Rupture
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed.
- Comparative analysis of different mobility aids in the early accelerated rehabilitation phase following acute achilles tendon repair surgery: a prospective cohort study.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Trial
- Return to Sport and Return to Self-Reported Preinjury Level After Surgical Repair of Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture: A 2-Year Prospective Cohort Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Parsing Through the Data on Achilles Tendon Rupture Management, Rehab and Sports Return Criteria: a Current Literature Review.Current reviews in musculoskeletal medicine · 2026Review
- Patient-Centered Outcomes After Minimally Invasive Internal Splinting Versus Open Achilles Tendon Repair: Comparable Clinically Meaningful Recovery at 12 Months.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Review
- Acupuncture-Integrated Chinese-Western Medicine Accelerated Rehabilitation Protocol Following Acute Achilles Tendon Repair: A Prospective Cohort Study.Orthopaedic surgery · 2026Article
- Comparative Outcomes of Minimally Invasive Surgical Approaches on Patient Recovery: A Systematic Review.Cureus · 2026Review
- Polydeoxyribonucleotide improves scar healing following limited scar resection for chronic Achilles tendon rupture in a rat model.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Article
- Minimally invasive (ring forceps) versus open Achilles tendon repair: A retrospective comparison of ultrasonographic and functional outcomes.Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica · 2025Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
5 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundAcute Achilles tendon rupture (AATR) surgical repair debates center on the clinical efficacy of minimally invasive surgery (MIS) versus open surgery (OS), with immobilization duration poorly stratified. This prospective cohort study aimed to compare clinical outcomes of OS and MIS for AATR repair and evaluate the impact of immobilization duration (0, 2, or 4 weeks) on postoperative rehabilitation.
methodsA total of 474 patients undergoing surgical repair for acute AATR were stratified into six groups based on surgical approach (OS: 265 cases; MIS: 209 cases) and immobilization duration (0, 2, or 4 weeks). The primary outcomes were postoperative complications, while secondary outcomes included recovery times for Achilles tendon function. Data regarding the operative times, incision lengths, the visual analog scale (VAS) score, the Achilles tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS), and the American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot Scale score, and the relative Achilles tendon resting angle (ATRA) were also collected.
resultsMIS groups demonstrated significantly shorter operative times (34.1-34.4 vs. 45.1-46.1 min, P < 0.001) and reduced incision lengths (2.2-2.4 vs. 4.5-4.7 cm, P < 0.001) compared to OS. Postoperative VAS scores were markedly lower in MIS cohorts during the first 2 weeks (P < 0.001), with pain resolution comparable across all groups by 8 weeks. Despite the superior early functional recovery in PF (9.1-33.4 vs. 14.6-38.9 days, P < 0.001), Group D and E exhibited higher re-injury rates compared to OS (P < 0.05), in which Group D also demonstrated higher re-operation rates (5.6% vs. 0, P = 0.038). Prolonged immobilization (4 weeks) delayed functional recovery in both cohorts (P < 0.001). While transient differences in AOFAS Ankle-Hindfoot Scale and ATRS scores were observed at intermediate time points, all groups achieved near-maximal functional scores by 48 weeks, with no significant between-group differences (P > 0.05). Relative ATRA exhibited no significant intergroup differences at 48 weeks postoperatively (P > 0.05).
conclusionMIS for acute Achilles tendon rupture achieves faster early recovery but carries higher re-injury risks, mitigated by 4-week immobilization. OS benefits from shorter (2-week) immobilization. Both approaches yield equivalent long-term functions, emphasizing the need for tailored protocols and refined MIS techniques to optimize outcomes.
trial registrationNCT04663542.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.