Radiographic, clinical, and magnetic resonance imaging analysis of insertional Achilles tendinopathy. 2014

Priya Ponnapula Sundararajan, and Troy Scott Wilde
Director, Podiatric Surgical Services, Surgeon, Reconstructive Foot and Ankle Surgery, Wilmington Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Wilmington, DE. Electronic address: Priyaponnapula@gmail.com.

The surgical correction of insertional Achilles tendinopathy (IAT) repair typically involves tendon debridement, osteophyte removal, lengthening of the gastroc-soleus complex, and resection of the posterior superior calcaneal eminence. Limited evidence has supported decompression of the superior calcaneal prominence, because this step has had a pronounced association with the surgical treatment of Haglund's syndrome. To appreciate the posterior calcaneal abnormality, 20 lateral weightbearing radiographs of asymptomatic patients were compared with 20 lateral weightbearing radiographs of patients with symptomatic IAT. The radiographs were evaluated for the calcaneal inclination angle, Fowler-Philip angle, total angle, parallel pitch lines, Chauveaux-Liet angle, and the presence or absence of retrocalcaneal enthesiophytes. Patients with IAT were also examined clinically and using magnetic resonance imaging to determine the incidence of Haglund's syndrome within the symptomatic population. A comparison of the radiographs revealed minimal differences in calcaneal morphology between the 2 populations. Of the analyzed variables, only an elevated Chauveaux-Liet angle and the presence of a retrocalcaneal enthesiophytes were characteristic of patients with IAT. The results of the present study have confirmed the absence of morphologic calcaneal variation and the presence of altered calcaneal angulations in symptomatic patients. Both the clinical examination and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a 25% frequency of Haglund's syndrome within the IAT population. Because these 2 diagnosis are clinically and radiographically divergent, their surgical interventions warrant distinct goals using separate methods. By understanding the abnormality, the surgeon can taper the correction precisely and specifically toward patients with IAT.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008279 Magnetic Resonance Imaging Non-invasive method of demonstrating internal anatomy based on the principle that atomic nuclei in a strong magnetic field absorb pulses of radiofrequency energy and emit them as radiowaves which can be reconstructed into computerized images. The concept includes proton spin tomographic techniques. Chemical Shift Imaging,MR Tomography,MRI Scans,MRI, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Image,Magnetic Resonance Imaging, Functional,Magnetization Transfer Contrast Imaging,NMR Imaging,NMR Tomography,Tomography, NMR,Tomography, Proton Spin,fMRI,Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging,Imaging, Chemical Shift,Proton Spin Tomography,Spin Echo Imaging,Steady-State Free Precession MRI,Tomography, MR,Zeugmatography,Chemical Shift Imagings,Echo Imaging, Spin,Echo Imagings, Spin,Functional MRI,Functional MRIs,Image, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, Magnetic Resonance,Imaging, NMR,Imaging, Spin Echo,Imagings, Chemical Shift,Imagings, Spin Echo,MRI Scan,MRIs, Functional,Magnetic Resonance Images,Resonance Image, Magnetic,Scan, MRI,Scans, MRI,Shift Imaging, Chemical,Shift Imagings, Chemical,Spin Echo Imagings,Steady State Free Precession MRI
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011859 Radiography Examination of any part of the body for diagnostic purposes by means of X-RAYS or GAMMA RAYS, recording the image on a sensitized surface (such as photographic film). Radiology, Diagnostic X-Ray,Roentgenography,X-Ray, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X-Ray,Diagnostic X-Ray Radiology,X-Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,Diagnostic X Ray,Diagnostic X Ray Radiology,Diagnostic X-Rays,Radiology, Diagnostic X Ray,X Ray Radiology, Diagnostic,X Ray, Diagnostic,X-Rays, Diagnostic
D002111 Calcaneus The largest of the TARSAL BONES which is situated at the lower and back part of the FOOT, forming the HEEL. Heel Bone,Bone, Heel
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000125 Achilles Tendon Tendon that connects the muscles in the back of the calf to the HEEL BONE. Calcaneal Tendon,Tendo Calcaneus,Calcaneal Tendons,Tendon, Achilles,Tendon, Calcaneal,Tendons, Calcaneal
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly

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