Simultaneous reconstruction of the bilateral chronic achilles tendon rupture with early functional rehabilitation: A case report

Bilateral chronic Achilles tendon rupture is a rare condition which is commonly associated with a predisposing factor such as long-term steroid therapy. Treatment of such patients requires special consideration since tendon fibers are usually weak due to steroid therapy and tendon ends are retracted. However, no consensus is available regarding the optimal surgical procedure. Ambulation after surgery is another problem; according to the literature, patients usually wore casts bilaterally and were kept non-weight bearing for several weeks after surgery, which means patients were usually not able to walk for several weeks after surgery. We present the case of bilateral chronic Achilles tendon ruptures in a patient on steroid therapy, which provided achievement of a good functional outcome with 1-year follow up through Achilles tendon reconstruction and early functional rehabilitation. This rehabilitation included starting to walk the day after surgery using patellar tendon bearing braces with wedges.