Functional and MRI follow-up after reconstruction of chronic XXXX using the @entity924 wrapped with central turndown flap: a case series.

@entity1 @entity924 @entity397
BACKGROUND: Reconstruction of chronic @entity397 poses a great challenge for the orthopaedic surgeon both technically and functionally. The aim of this study was to assess the results of a new technique for reconstruction of chronic @entity397 with defects longer than 5  cm using the @entity924 autograft wrapped in a central turndown flap from the proximal portion of the Achilles tendon. @entity1 AND METHODS: Eighteen @entity1 (14 female and 4 male; mean age, 40.7  years), having chronic @entity397 , were enrolled in this study. The mean follow-up period of our @entity1 was 21.8  months. All @entity1 were assessed via the following parameters: lag of interference since the first complaint, length of the defect, length of the turndown flap and length of the harvested plantaris tendon, surgery time, complications, active range of motion at the ankle and the final score. Average values were presented as means. Independent sample t test, Mann Whitney test, paired sample t test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used to evaluate the clinical and functional results. The results were considered statistically significant if a P value was <0.05. To analyse the time course of the gap following surgery, the data from the first MRI session were compared with those from the second and third sessions using the Wilcoxon's signed rank test. In addition, the paired data of the tendon gap disappearance rate between T1-weighted and T2-weighted images were also compared using the McNemar test. RESULTS: The mean preoperative American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society score was 62.2 points while at the @entity1 ' last follow-up, the mean postoperative score was 94.9 points. The results of this study confirmed that both the @entity924 have been perceived with higher sensitivity in T2-weighted images than in T1-weighted images. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that this new technique is biologic, synchronous and reliable in cases of chronic @entity397 with defects longer than 5  cm.
