Abstract
We report herein a rare case of Achilles tendon rupture in a rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patient. A 37 year-old female with an eight-year history of RA had pain at her posterior calcaneus for one year. Her Achilles tendon had been ruptured when she staggered. Physical examination and MRI study revealed tendon shortening and a gap at the rupture site. The patient underwent surgery using a pull-out suture technique and reinforcement using the plantaris tendon. The Achilles tendon had ruptured at its insertion point. Pathological findings revealed inflammatory changes around the tendon and the retrocalcaneal bursa with synovial proliferation. In the present case, the tendon might have been ruptured following a direct invasion of synovitis of the retrocalcaneal bursa.
