Percutaneous Repair of a Ruptured Common Calcaneal Tendon in a Dog

Introduction: Common calcaneal tendon injuries are common in dogs, may be partial or complete, and may involve any combination of the three tendons. Traditional surgical repair techniques for complete rupture of the tendon describe tenorrhaphy by an open approach using a fascia late autograft or polypropylene mesh for support. The purpose of this article is to describe the novel application of a well-described human surgical procedure for repair of a ruptured common calcaneal tendon in a dog, using the Arthrex Percutaneous Achilles Repair System (PARS).

Case Details An adult male neutered Pit bull was presented with a plantigrade stance on the right hindlimb after suffering a laceration, with an associated complete tear of the common calcaneal tendon. Each end of the tendon was isolated within the tendon sheath, the inner arms of the PARS jig were placed adjacent to the Achilles tendon on either side, within the tendon sheath, and the tendon portions were secured with three interlocking strands of fibreWire, as described by Arthrex. The opposing strands of fibreWire were then sutured together on either side of the tendon ends. A half cast was applied to the caudal portion of the distal extremity postoperatively and maintained for 4 weeks.

Discussion/Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the first reported use of a well-described human surgical procedure using the PARS for repair of an acute common calcaneal tendon rupture in a dog.

Acknowledgement: There was no proprietary interest or funding provided for this project.