Diseases and injuries of the achilles tendon

master's thesis

• Title (croatian): Bolesti i ozljede ahilove tetive
• Author: Edin Alibegovic
• Mentor: Ivan Dobrić (mentor)
• Committee member: Ivan Dobrić (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Davor Mijatović (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Tomislav Meštrović (član povjerenstva)
• Granter: University of Zagreb; School of Medicine; Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2023-07-13, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: BIOMEDICINE AND HEALTHCARE; Clinical Medical Sciences; Surgery

Abstract

The Achilles tendon is one of the strongest and biggest tendons in the human body. Even though this is the case, it is also one of the tendons in the human body that is most often injured or ruptured. There are four injuries that are most common to the Achilles tendon: Achilles tendinitis/tendinosis, paratenonitis, retrocalcaneal bursitis and rupture. Achilles tendinitis is a condition in which the Achilles tendon is acutely inflamed due to excessive overuse while tendinosis refers to an overused tendon that develops microtears in a chronic setting. Multiple etiologies might be at play in these diseases. Diagnosis of all four previously mentioned diseases is mainly done clinically but can be aided by plain radiograph, ultrasound and MRI. Paratenonitis is a condition that can be seen in runners and is an inflammation of the sheath that surrounds the Achilles tendon. Treatment is mainly conservative and very rarely operative to remove adhesions. Retrocalcaneal bursitis is a condition in which the retrocalcaneal bursa gets inflamed which can cause it to hypertrophy and adhere to the Achilles tendon. This can lead to degeneration of the Achilles tendon. Treatment of this condition is mainly conservative but can also in rare cases be operative. Achilles tendon ruptures are divided into four types according to the Kuwada classification and are most often treated accordingly either conservatively or operatively. There is no clear consensus on the etiology of the ruptures but there are multiple theories such as a previous insult or a diminution of blood supply in an older age.

Abstract (croatian)

Ahilova tetiva je jedna od najjačih i najvećih tetiva u ljudskom tijelu. Unatoč tome, također je jedna od tetiva koja se najčešće ozljeđuje ili pukne. Postoje četiri ozljede koje su najčešće kod Ahilove tetive: Ahilov tendinitis/tendinoza, paratenonitis, retrokalkanealni burzitis i ruptura. Ahilov tendinitis je stanje u kojem je Ahilova tetiva akutno upaljena zbog pretjeranog prenaprezanja, dok se tendinoza odnosi na preopterećenu tetivu koja razvija mikro-rupture u kroničnom stanju. U ovim bolestima mogu biti prisutne različite etiologije. Dijagnoza svih četiri prethodno spomenute bolesti uglavnom se postavlja klinički, ali se može pomoći i rendgenskom snimkom, ultrazvukom i magnetskom rezonancom. Paratenonitis je stanje koje se može primijetiti kod trkača i upala je ovojnice koja okružuje Ahilovu tetivu. Liječenje je uglavnom konzervativno, a operativni zahvat se rijetko provodi kako bi se uklonile adhezije. Retrokalkanealni burzitis je stanje u kojem se retrokalkanealna burza upali, što može dovesti do hipertrofije i prianjanja uz Ahilovu tetivu. To može dovesti do degeneracije Ahilove tetive. Liječenje ovog stanja je uglavnom konzervativno, ali u rijetkim slučajevima može biti i operativno. Rupture Ahilove tetive se dijele u četiri tipa prema Kuwada klasifikaciji i najčešće se liječe konzervativno ili operativno prema potrebi. Nema jasnog suglasja o etiologiji ruptura, ali postoje različite teorije poput prethodne ozljede ili smanjenja dotoka krvi u starijoj dobi.

• Keywords: Achilles tendon; injury; tendinopathy; rupture
• Keywords (croatian): Ahilova tetiva; ozljeda; tendinopatija; ruptura
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:105:112318
• Study programme: Title: Medicine; Study programme type: university; Study level: integrated undergraduate and graduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica medicine (doktor/doktorica medicine)
• Type of resource: Text
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2023-08-30 10:39:21