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Prognosis for Achilles Tendon Repair

If the Achilles tendon, the strong muscle that connects the heel to the lower leg, is overstretched, it can tear or rupture partially or completely, resulting in a sharp pain that makes it virtually impossible to walk properly.

  1. Non-Surgical Treatments

    • In non-surgical treatment for Achilles ruptures, patients wear a cast or walking boot and use muscle strengthening techniques, electrical stimulation and ice packing. According to the American Journal of Sports Medicine, these are effective in about 84 percent of patients.

    Surgical Treatments

    • Surgery for an Achilles tendon rupture requires an incision in the back of the lower leg or ankle to stitch the torn tendon together. The success rate for surgery is between 93 and 97 percent. Most athletes go back to full training schedules within six months of surgery.

    Complications from No Surgery

    • Patients who do not undergo surgery for Achilles tendon repair must consider surgery if their therapies are not successful and have not improved conditions within six months. Of those patients who initially receive non-surgical treatment, 29 percent eventually go on to require surgery at a later time.

    Complications from Surgery

    • In the past, complications from Achilles tendon surgery were infection and wounds that were slow to heal. However, new developments have made surgical treatment much more successful. Other complications after surgery result from immobilizing the leg in a cast. Muscle atrophy and blood clots can result if proper motion exercises are not implemented.

    Long-Term Prognosis

    • A study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine has found that at the end of eight years, 94 percent of patients who received surgical or non-surgical treatment were asymptomatic or had only mild pain with strenuous exercise.

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