METHODS: To evaluate patients\' experiences of suffering a chronic Achilles tendon rupture, semi-structured group interviews were conducted 4-6 years after surgical treatment using a semi-structured interview guide. The data were analyzed using qualitative content analysis described by Graneheim and Lundman.
RESULTS: The experiences of ten patients (65 ± 14 years, 7 males and 3 females) were summarized into four main categories: (1) \"The injury\", where the patients described immediate functional impairments, following either traumatic or non-traumatic injury mechanisms that were misinterpreted by themselves or the health-care system; (2) \"The diagnosis\", where the patients expressed relief in receiving the diagnosis, but also disappointment and/or frustration related to the prior misdiagnosis and delay; (3) \"The treatment\", where the patients expressed high expectations, consistent satisfaction with the surgical treatment, and addressed the importance of the physical therapist having the right expertise; and (4) \"The outcomes\", where the patients expressed an overall satisfaction with the long-term outcome and no obvious limitations in physical activity, although some fear of re-injury emerged.
CONCLUSIONS: An Achilles tendon rupture can occur during both major and minor trauma and be misinterpreted by both the assessing health-care professional as well as the patient themselves. Surgical treatment and postoperative rehabilitation for chronic Achilles tendon rupture results in overall patient satisfaction in terms of the long-term outcomes. We emphasize the need for increased awareness of the occurrence of Achilles tendon rupture in patients with an atypical patient history.
方法:为了评估患者遭受慢性跟腱断裂的经历,手术治疗后4~6年,采用半结构化访谈指南进行半结构化小组访谈.使用Graneheim和Lundman描述的定性内容分析对数据进行分析。
结果:10例患者(65±14年,7名男性和3名女性)被总结为四大类:(1)“伤害”,患者描述了直接的功能障碍,遵循自身或医疗保健系统误解的创伤性或非创伤性损伤机制;(2)“诊断”,患者在接受诊断时表示放心,但也与先前的误诊和延误有关的失望和/或沮丧;(3)“治疗”,病人表达了很高的期望,对手术治疗的满意度一致,并阐述了物理治疗师拥有正确专业知识的重要性;和(4)“结果”,患者对长期结果表示总体满意,并且在身体活动方面没有明显的限制,尽管出现了一些对再次受伤的恐惧。
结论:跟腱断裂可发生在严重和轻微创伤期间,并被评估卫生保健专业人员和患者本身误解。慢性跟腱断裂的手术治疗和术后康复可提高患者的长期满意度。我们强调有非典型病史的患者需要提高对跟腱断裂发生的认识。