Surgical repair of acute Achilles tendon rupture with and without human amniotic membrane augmentation: a retrospective comparative study

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

• Level A · Stronger Clinical Evidence
• Level B · Emerging clinical evidence with positive signals
• Level C · Early human research exploring benefits
• Level D · Scientific groundwork from lab and animal studies
• Emerging · Emerging topic under active research

Abstract (original English)

Objectives Achilles tendon ruptures are common, particularly in active individuals; however, optimal healing remains challenging due to limited vascularity, adhesions, and re-rupture risk. Human amniotic membrane (hAM), rich in extracellular matrix and bioactive factors, shows regenerative potential, offering a promising adjunct for tendon repair. Methods After institutional review board approval, patients aged 20-75 years who underwent end-to-end Achilles tendon repair for acute complete rupture between February 2019 and January 2025 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were grouped by intraoperative use of hAM allografts. Baseline characteristics, rupture location, operative time, complications (tendon re-rupture, wound infection, dehiscence), American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) Ankle-Hindfoot score, and follow-up duration were analyzed using t -tests and Fisher's exact tests ( p Results In total, 45 repairs were performed in 44 patients. Of these, 13 patients (13 feet) received hAM augmentation, while 31 patients (32 feet) underwent primary repair without hAM. The overall mean follow-up time for the entire cohort was 38.16 ± 21.13 months. Complications occurred in 11 of the 45 feet, including 1 wound dehiscence, 3 re-rupture (2 of which were associated with wound infection), and 7 additional cases of wound infection. Operative time was significantly shorte

Evidence level

Early human evidence such as case series or small samples is exploring possible benefits.

Browse all related research

Filter the research library by this study's title keywords, author, or publication year.