Surgical Management of Insertional Achilles Tendinopathy in the Young and Elderly Result in Similar Clinical Outcomes

CATEGORY: Other; Ankle INTRODUCTION/PURPOSE: Insertional Achilles tendinitis (IAT) is a common cause of chronic posterior heel pain. Non-operative treatment has demonstrated evidence of success, with similar failure rates in both the young and the elderly. Surgical management can reproducibly improve patients’ pain and functional status. Older patients are considered to be at a higher risk for surgical complications due to associated comorbidities when compared to patients under the age of 60. The aim of this study is to investigate the impact of comorbidities and peri-operative variables on functional patient reported outcomes following surgical treatment of IAT in those over and under the age of 60. METHODS: Retrospective review of prospectively collected data pertaining to a consecutive series of adult patients who underwent surgical management of IAT by a single surgeon (J.B.). Patients were separated into those 60 years of age and younger, and those above 60. Patients undergoing concomitant surgical procedures or revisions were excluded. Patient demographics, co- morbidities, perioperative variables, and post-operative complications were collected. Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Score (SF-36 PCS), wound infection, and recurrence were assessed with a minimum follow-up of 12 months. Statistics were obtained using linear regression mixed models, and chi-squared analysis. RESULTS: 38 operative cases were identified including 17 patients over and 21 patients under 60 years of age (mean 66.8 +/- 5.1yrs, 49.1 +/- 8.4yrs, respectively). There were no significant differences in demographics, rates of co-morbidities, or post-operative infection between the two groups. Both young and elderly groups experienced improvements in mean VAS pain scores at 6 months (3.3 and 2.7, respectively, P = 0.416) and 12 months (5.0 and 4.1, respectively, P = 0.322) post-operatively. SF-36 PCS improvements were also observed in both young and elderly cohorts at 6 (mean 22.1 and 9.3, respectively, P = 0.122) and 12 months (mean 30.4 and 20.4, respectively, P = 0.158). Linear regression analysis showed no statistical difference between the presence of co-morbidities, or age, on clinical outcomes. CONCLUSION: None of the co-morbidities nor peri-operative variables assessed were linked to increased risk of failed surgical correction of IAT in elderly patients, suggesting surgical correction of IAT in geriatric populations is an appropriate and reproducible treatment option. Further higher-powered studies, with longer follow-up times would be of use to better elucidate the influence of co-morbidities on recurrence.