December 03, 2014
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Achilles ruptures, nonoperative treatment increasing in Sweden

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Despite the overall number of Achilles tendon ruptures increasing in Sweden, recently published data show more patients are being treated nonoperatively for such injuries.
Researchers culled data for 27,702 patients from a Swedish nationwide registry of all skeletally mature patients who visited a hospital between 2001 and 2012 due to an acute Achilles tendon rupture. Patients were divided into those treated operatively and nonoperatively. The quantity of patients was then compared with the adult population of Sweden to determine the instance of Achilles tendon rupture in person-years.
The quantity of acute Achilles tendon ruptures per 100,000 person-years increased from 2001 (47 in men, 12 in women) to 2012 (55.2 and 14.7, respectively), representing an increase of 17% in men and 22% in women. Despite this increase, the number of patients treated surgically for this injury decrease from 2001 (43% in men, 34% in women) to 2012 (28% in men, 22% in women), according to the researchers.

Outpatient surgery increased from 33% in 2011 to 77% in 2012, whereas the median length of hospital stay in men and women was 1 and 2 days, respectively.
Disclosure: The authors have no relevant financial disclosures.