Outcomes of Percutaneous Calcaneoplasty for Insertional Achilles Tendon Problems.

Ferranti, Stefano; Migliorini, Filippo; Liuni, Federico Maria; Corzani, Marco; Azzarà , Alfio; Polliano, Flavio; Tawfiq, Abusaa Saher Sami; Maffulli, Nicola

BACKGROUND Percutaneous procedures have been used recently to treat insertional Achilles tendon problems. The present study reports our results of this treatment approach. METHODS Patients undergoing percutaneous calcaneoplasty for insertional Achilles tendon problems were retrieved. Patients completed the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire before the operative procedure and at the last follow-up. At the last follow-up, we asked the patients whether they were completely satisfied, moderately satisfied, or unsatisfied after the procedure. Complications were also recorded. RESULTS A total of 27 patients were enrolled. The average follow-up was 26.5 months (range 6-68). The mean age of patients was 56.2 years (24-82). The mean VAS score before surgery was 8.1 ± 0.9 decreasing by the last follow-up to 2.4 ± 2.3 (P < .0001). The mean VISA-A score improved from 20.7 ± 5.4 to 75.7 ± 25.5 at last follow-up, an improvement of 55% (P < .0001). At the last follow-up, 84.5% (22 of 27) patients were completely satisfied with the procedure, 7.4% (2 of 27) moderately satisfied, and 11.1% (3 of 27) were not satisfied. These last 3 patients presented recurrence of symptoms, requiring revision surgery. CONCLUSION For the selected patients, we found percutaneous calcaneoplasty to be an effective treatment for insertional Achilles tendon problems. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Level III, retrospective study.