RETURN TO SPORT AFTER ACHILLES TENDON RUPTURE
type: CreativeWork
description: Background: Achilles tendon (AT) rupture is a common injury, particularly among physically active individuals, with a 30% growth rate in the most affected age group (30–39 years). Among professional athletes, 25% fail to return to sport (RTS), and those who do typically require 8–11 months of recovery. Furthermore, their performance can decline by up to 50% during the two years following RTS, and their career length is shorter compared to non-injured players or those with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Long-term deficits after AT repair have been documented up to 10 years post-injury, including tendon elongation, reduced calf circumference, atrophy of type-1 muscle fibers, decreased heel-raise test performance, and reduced ability to generate force in a plantar-flexed position. Additionally, low psychological readiness to RTS, or high levels of kinesiophobia at six months may influence RTS outcomes. Given these suboptimal RTS outcomes and the lack of consensus on optimal treatment strategies for AT rupture, there is a need to explore potential areas for improvement in the RTS process. Aims: These considerations have inspired my PhD research project, which aims to identify gaps in the current AT RTS process and provide insights to optimize outcomes for patients recovering from AT rupture. The specific aims of the three research projects are as follows: 1. To map the literature regarding which criteria are used to clear athletes for RTS after AT repair. Understanding the criteria defined in the literature allows for clarity on the standards required for RTS and the identification of potential gaps area in the RTS process that lack clear guidelines. 2. To observe and analyze the impact of AT rupture in ankle movement quality during the mid-stage of rehabilitation. The comparison between the repaired and unrepaired limbs aims to identify potential differences in movement quality between the two ankles. 3. To describe the on-field rehabilitation (OFR) workloa…
abstract: Background: Achilles tendon (AT) rupture is a common injury, particularly among physically active individuals, with a 30% growth rate in the most affected age group (30–39 years). Among professional athletes, 25% fail to return to sport (RTS), and those who do typically require 8–11 months of recovery. Furthermore, their performance can decline by up to 50% during the two years following RTS, and their career length is shorter compared to non-injured players or those with anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries. Long-term deficits after AT repair have been documented up to 10 years post-injury, including tendon elongation, reduced calf circumference, atrophy of type-1 muscle fibers, decreased heel-raise test performance, and reduced ability to generate force in a plantar-flexed position. Additionally, low psychological readiness to RTS, or high levels of kinesiophobia at six months may influence RTS outcomes. Given these suboptimal RTS outcomes and the lack of consensus on optimal treatment strategies for AT rupture, there is a need to explore potential areas for improvement in the RTS process. Aims: These considerations have inspired my PhD research project, which aims to identify gaps in the current AT RTS process and provide insights to optimize outcomes for patients recovering from AT rupture. The specific aims of the three research projects are as follows: 1. To map the literature regarding which criteria are used to clear athletes for RTS after AT repair. Understanding the criteria defined in the literature allows for clarity on the standards required for RTS and the identification of potential gaps area in the RTS process that lack clear guidelines. 2. To observe and analyze the impact of AT rupture in ankle movement quality during the mid-stage of rehabilitation. The comparison between the repaired and unrepaired limbs aims to identify potential differences in movement quality between the two ankles. 3. To describe the on-field rehabilitation (OFR) workloa…
author: BUSA', MATTIA FERNANDO
language: eng
keywords: ACHILLES TENDON RUPTURE, CRITERIA TO RETURN TO SPORT, ANKLE MOVEMENT QUALITY, GPS LOAD MANAGEMENT, Settore MEDS-26/B - Scienze delle professioni sanitarie tecniche diagnostiche, assistenziali e della prevenzione, Settore MEDF-01/B - Metodi e didattiche delle attività sportive
date published: 2025-03-26
date modified: 2026-07-27T20:18:46Z
provider: Università degli Studi di Milano
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Università degli Studi di Milano

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/2434/1156996

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.13130/busa-mattia-fernando_phd2025-03-26