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Background: Percutaneous procedures have been used recently to treat insertional Achilles tendon problems. The present study reports our results of this treatment approach. Methods: Patients undergoing percutaneous calcaneoplasty for insertional Achilles tendon problems were retrieved. Patients completed the visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and the Victorian Institute of Sports Assessment–Achilles (VISA-A) questionnaire before the operative procedure and at the last follow-up. At the last follow-up, we asked the patients whether they were completely satisfied, moderately satisfied, or unsatisfied after the procedure. Complications were also recorded. Results: A total of 27 patients were enrolled. The average follow-up was 26.5 months (range 6-68). The mean age of patients was 56.2 years (24-82). The mean VAS score before surgery was 8.1 ± 0.9 decreasing by the last follow-up to 2.4 ± 2.3 ( P < .0001). The mean VISA-A score improved from 20.7 ± 5.4 to 75.7 ± 25.5 at last follow-up, an improvement of 55% ( P < .0001). At the last follow-up, 84.5% (22 of 27) patients were completely satisfied with the procedure, 7.4% (2 of 27) moderately satisfied, and 11.1% (3 of 27) were not satisfied. These last 3 patients presented recurrence of symptoms, requiring revision surgery. Conclusion: For the selected patients, we found percutaneous calcaneoplasty to be an effective treatment for insertional Achilles tendon problems Level of Evidence: Level III, retrospective study.

We report the case of a 66-year-old male patient with massive ossification of the distal portion of the Achilles tendon, as a late consequence of a surgical release for club foot conducted in his childhood. The singularity of the case report derives from its clinical features: the bone mass was of abnormal dimensions, almost substituting the entire tendon; the condition had always been asymptomatic, without deficits in range of motion, in absence of either pain or biomechanical defects with age. In fact, the condition was diagnosed just recently as a consequence of a tear. Despite an ultrasound diagnosis after the injury, only during the surgical treatment, a proper evaluation of the entity of the pathology was possible. Although the ossification of Achilles tendon is a rare clinical condition with a complex multifactorial etiology, in our case report, some of the elements in the patient’s medical history could be useful for the pathogenesis and early diagnosis of the disease. The aim of this case report is to emphasize the importance both of a correct evaluation of clinical history and of an accurate diagnosis, in order to conduct a proper management of this pathology.

Background Osteocondrithis dissecans (OCD) is an acquired disease due to a subcondral bone ischaemia that affects generally the medial femoral condyle as well as above lying cartilage. Though the incidence of OCD is only 6/10,000 in the general population, in the later stages of disease, OCD fragment can break off inside the articular cavity it is the most Frequently reported cause of free endoarticular body. The etiology has been hypothesized as being multi-factored due to traumas or microtraumas along with metabolic, endocrine and genetic disorders leading to subchondral ischemia . Description of case A 15-year old male amateur soccer player presented to our department complaining of recurrent episodes of pain at rest in both knees, swelling and articular blockage occurring over the past 3 years. RX and MRIrevealed bilateral lesions on both medial condyles. A ONE-STEP surgical technique was performed that incorporated the drawing of mesenchymal staminal cells (MSCs) and their implantation. Conclusion This case report deals with a rare case of bilateral OCD of the knee treated with the latest technique in regenerative medicine. At 6-month follow up there was a complete return of muscular tonality in both knees andthe patient was allowed to return to light physical activity. These results are noteworthyfor the fact they were obtained from a combined surgical approach that when compared toalternative approaches lead to a shorter hospital stay and a reduced hospital burden. Each of the osteochondral lesions was evaluated from imaging results and arthroscopic findings.