Surgically repaired Achilles tendon ruptures with postoperative mobile ankle cast: a 12-month follow-up study with an isokinetic and a dynamic muscle function test

Seventeen patients (15 men and 2 women) with surgically repaired Achilles tendon ruptures had a mobile cast applied for 6 weeks after the operation that allowed free ankle joint motion. A 12-month follow-up study was performed, with measurements of isokinetic muscle torque in a modified Cybex II dynamometer and a dynamic heel-raise test of muscle fatigue. A majority of the patients were weaker on the treated side in both the isokinetic and the heel-raise tests. The isokinetic plantar flexion torque showed larger differences at an angular velocity of 12°/s than at 90°/s. Seven of the patients in the heel-raise test showed considerable differences between the treated and untreated sides, but our analysis could not explain this with any Certainty.