Chondral metaplasia in calcific insertional tendinopathy of the Achilles tendon.

Objective: To ascertain whether tendon samples harvested from patients with calcific insertional Achilles tendinopathy showed features of failed healing response, and whether abnormal quantities of type II collagen had been produced in that area by these tenocytes.

Design: Comparative laboratory study.

Design: University teaching hospitals.

Conservative management, percutaneous or open repair of acute Achilles tendon rupture: a retrospective study.

Background And Aims: To ascertain the differences in patients' perceived outcomes between conservative, percutaneous or open repair of Achilles tendon ruptures.

Methods: We studied 111 patients who had been managed for a unilateral closed Achilles tendon rupture. We excluded patients with open Achilles tendon lesions, patients whose tear had occurred more than seven days from operation, patients with diabetes, inflammatory disease, systemic corticosteroids or fluoroquinolones.

Quantitative review of operative and nonoperative management of achilles tendon ruptures.

Background: There is no consensus on the best method for management of acute Achilles tendon ruptures. Individual preferences, drawn from experience and study, determine whether treatment is operative or nonoperative.

Purpose: Our goal was to review the literature to try to determine what management method was the most popular and effective.

Light microscopic histology of achilles tendon ruptures. A comparison with unruptured tendons.

We studied biopsies from the Achilles tendons of patients undergoing open repair for a subcutaneous rupture of their Achilles tendons (27 men, 11 women; mean age, 45.3 +/- 13.8 years) and specimens of Achilles tendons from persons with no known tendon ailments (43 men, 3 women; mean age, 64.

Tenocytes from ruptured and tendinopathic achilles tendons produce greater quantities of type III collagen than tenocytes from normal achilles tendons. An in vitro model of human tendon healing.

Type I collagen is the main collagen in tendons; type III collagen is present in small amounts. Ruptured Achilles tendons contain a significantly greater proportion of type Ill collagen, which predisposes them to rupture. We used an in vitro model to determine whether tenocytes from Achilles tendons that were ruptured (N = 22), nonruptured (N = 7), tendinopathic (N = 12), and fetal (N = 8) show different behavior.