[Functional analysis after Achilles tendon repair]. FT Analisi funzionale dopo tenorraffia dell'Achille

The Achilles tendon rupture (ATR) is a severe injury and requires a surgical treatment which can result in functional impairment, limiting unprofessional sports activities. In order to evaluate this potential impairment 20 subjects (SG) who had received surgical treatment for ATR and 20 healthy subjects (CG) were required to execute vertical jump according to counter movement jump and squat jump protocol. For both groups the flying time (Tv) of each foot has been acquired, adopting accelerometric transducers positioned posteriorly at the level of malleolar axis. The SG's Tv is significantly lesser than the CG's one, demonstrating an inferior global performance respect to healthy people and the operated leg has a Tv 6% higher than the contralateral, while in the CG there are no statistical difference between the Tv of the limbs. For seven operated subjects Tv values are lesser than threshold values obtained from CG. For them sports activity which implies high and cyclic stress on the lower limbs could be dangerous. Functional evaluation, consequently, allow to assess impairments not differently estimable.