Speaker
Suk Ho Baek
- Madisesang Hospital
- South Korea
Presentation
Bioinductive Collagen Implant (REGENETEN) for Iatrogenic Achilles Tendinosis in an Adolescent Athlete: A Case Report
- April 15-16, 2027
- Dubai, UAE
Biography
Suk Ho Baek is an orthopedic surgeon at the Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Madisesang Hospital, Seoul, Korea
Abstract
Background: Achilles tendinosis is uncommon in adolescents and may be aggravated by iatrogenic factors such as repeated peritendinous corticosteroid injections. Extensive debridement of degenerated tissue can leave a structural defect, while tendon transfer or autologous grafting carries donor-site morbidity that is undesirable in young athletes.
Objective: To report the clinical and radiological outcome of bioinductive collagen implant (REGENETEN; Smith & Nephew) augmentation after debridement of injection-related Achilles tendinosis in an adolescent athlete.
Methods: A 15-year-old elite youth soccer player presented with 9 months of recalcitrant mid-portion Achilles pain (visual analog scale [VAS], 7/10) that worsened after multiple sessions of extracorporeal shockwave therapy and three peritendinous injections. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed fusiform thickening with a 3 cm area of high-grade mucoid degeneration. Through a midline approach, the degenerated tissue was debrided, the remnant tendon was reapproximated with polydioxanone sutures, and a 2×3 cm bioinductive collagen implant was overlaid and covered by paratenon repair. A short leg cast was applied for 2 weeks, followed by accelerated functional rehabilitation in a VACOped brace.
Results: At 3 months, the patient was pain-free (VAS, 0/10) and had returned to competitive soccer. The American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society ankle-hindfoot score improved from 62 to 98. Follow-up MRI demonstrated substantial normalization of intratendinous T2 hyperintensity and filling of the debridement site, with no complications or recurrence.
Conclusion: Bioinductive collagen implant augmentation may provide a favorable biological environment for restoring tendon volume after debridement in adolescents with iatrogenic Achilles tendinosis, without the need for autologous grafting. Longer follow-up and larger series are needed to confirm long-term durability
