BackgroundThere is a need for a patient-relevant instrument to evaluate outcome after treatment in patients with a total Achilles tendon rupture. The purpose of this study was to undertake a cross-cultural adaptation of the Achilles Tendon Total Rupture Score (ATRS) into Brazilian Portuguese, determining the test-retest reliability and construct validity of the instrument.MethodsA five-step approach was used in the cross-cultural adaptation process: initial translation (two bilingual Brazilian translators), synthesis of translation, back-translation (two native English language translators), consensus version and evaluation (expert committee), and testing phase. A total of 46 patients were recruited to evaluate the test-retest reproducibility and construct validity of the Brazilian Portuguese version of the ATRS. Test-retest reproducibility was performed by assessing each participant on two separate occasions. The construct validity was determined by the correlation index between the ATRS and the Orthopedic American Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) questionnaires.ResultsThe final version of the Brazilian Portuguese ATRS had the same number of questions as the original ATRS. For the reliability analysis, an ICC(2,1) of 0.93 (95 % CI: 0.88 to 0.96) with SEM of 1.56 points and MDC of 4.32 was observed, indicating excellent reliability. The construct validity showed excellent correlation with R = 0.76 (95 % CI: 0.52 to 0.89, P < 0.001).ConclusionThe ATRS was successfully cross-culturally validated into Brazilian Portuguese. This version was a reliable and valid measure of function in patients who suffered complete rupture of the Achilles Tendon.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13102-016-0034-0) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Objective: To prospectively assess the surgical results from patients undergoing repairs to rotator cuff injuries via open and arthroscopic procedures, with regard to functional and clinical features, and by means of ultrasound examinations, and to compare occurrences of renewed tearing. Methods: Sixty patients underwent operations performed by the same surgeon (29 via open surgery and 31 via arthroscopy), to repair complete rotator cuff tears. The procedures were performed at Hospital Governor Israel Pinheiro (HGIP) and Mater Dei Hospital in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, between August 2007 and February 2009. The patients were assessed functionally by means of the UCLA score before and after the operation, and magnetic resonance imaging was done before the operation. All the patients were reassessed at least 12 months after the operation, and an ultrasound examination was also performed at this time. Results: Out of the 29 patients who underwent open surgery, 27 (93.1%) presented good or excellent results, with a mean UCLA score of 32 after the operation. Their mean follow-up was 14 months. Three patients presented renewed tearing on ultrasound, of whom one remained asymptomatic. Out of the 31 patients who underwent arthroscopic procedures, 29 (93.5%) presented good or excellent results, with a mean UCLA score of 33 after the operation. Their mean follow-up was 19 months. Two patients presented renewed tearing, of whom one remained asymptomatic and one evolved with loosening of an anchor, with an unsatisfactory result. Conclusion: The repairs on rotator cuff injuries presented good results by means of both open surgery and arthroscopy, with similar functional results in the two groups and similar rates of renewed tearing.

Introduction: To ascertain the incidence of early complications in the posterolateral approach to open reduction and internal fixation of posterior malleolar fractures and identify possible risk factors related to occurrence of these complications. Methods: Retrospective study carried out in three tertiary hospitals. Patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation of posterior malleolus fractures via the posterolateral route were divided into two groups: with versus without delayed postoperative healing. To assess risk and protective factors for the outcome of delayed healing, we evaluated the time between trauma and surgery, whether the patient had a fracture-dislocation of the ankle, and whether external fixation was performed before surgery. We also evaluated whether improvement in operative technique led to a reduction in complication rates. Results: A total of 43 individuals who underwent surgical correction of posterior malleolus fractures via the posterolateral route between 2013 and 2018 were included. Of these, 19 (44.2%) had skin complications that led to delayed healing. Skin complications occurred more frequently at the beginning of the learning curve of the surgeons involved; the incidence up to the year 2016 was 56.3%, decreasing significantly to 37% from 2017 onward. Conclusion: Patients who undergo open reduction and internal fixation of posterior malleolus fractures via the posterolateral route at the beginning of the learning curve are a greater risk of developing skin complications, demonstrating the importance of this approach being restricted to more experienced surgeons. Level of Evidence III; Prognostic Studies; Retrospective Study.

Objective: To evaluate and quantify, through physical examination, loss of ankle mobility in patients undergoing subtalar fusion, in comparison to the contralateral side. Methods: A total of 12 patients who underwent unilateral isolated subtalar arthrodesis for different conditions were selected. The assessment was performed with the aid of a goniometer, measurements of the bilateral range of motion of the tibiotarsal joint, in closed chain weight-bearing and open chain non-weight-bearing. The same foot and ankle surgeon performed all measurements. Results: The operated side achieved significantly lower range of motion values in the closed chain weight-bearing test compared to the contralateral side, with a mean difference of 5.4° (p=0.029) for dorsiflexion and 7.6° (p=0.006) for plantar flexion. No statistically significant difference was found in the open chain test. Conclusion: Isolated subtalar joint arthrodesis leads to reduced range of motion in the ipsilateral ankle. Level of Evidence III; Therapeutic Study; Comparative Retrospective Study.

Objective: This retrospective study compared the clinical and functional results of single- and double-row surgical techniques for insertional Achilles tendinopathy in the postoperative period. Methods: In this case series, 29 patients who underwent surgery with one of the two techniques were followed up for one year postoperatively. Data were collected from medical records, imaging exams, and visual analog scale (VAS), Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment-Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire, 12-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-12), and Foot and Ankle Ability Measure (FAAM) scores. Results: The following mean values (5% significance level) were found for single- and double-row techniques, respectively: postoperative VAS (2.9/2.2), FAAM-ADL (71.9/74.4), FAAM-Sports (28.3/29.8), SF-12 physical component (45.2/47.0), SF-12 mental component (44.9/48.2), and VISA-A (72.1/75.9). The complication rate did not differ significantly between the techniques. Conclusion: No significant differences were found in any of the scores between the two surgical techniques. Level of Evidence III; Therapeutic Studies, Comparative Retrospective Study.