Nov 13 2009
That thin spot on the tendon
My orthopedist looked at my repaired tendon and was generally pleased with my progress. That slight depression in the tendon was not concerning. He says that the Krackow type of tendon repair begins with several interlocking suture knots about each end of the ruptured tendon. The sutures are then pulled together with just the right amount of tension, pulling together the ruptured tendon ends. Over time, scar tissue sometimes forms most prominently in the parts of the tendon with the multiple interlocking knots, just above and below the ruptured tendon ends, resulting in a picture exactly like mine. The relatively thin section of my tendon corresponds to the point where the ruptured ends have been pulled together. There are relatively few knots there and so less scar tissue. Just above and below that point are parts of the tendon with more suture knots and more scar tissue. So that thin spot is not really thin, it is just less thick than nearby parts of the tendon. It is still healing as it should. No worries.
thanks for the info doctorj.. that would explain the shape of my AT too. Does the area with more scar tissue on your AT feel more solid and harder than other parts of the AT? I wonder if the sheath grows back also to limit the amount of scar tissue that can grow and promote a more even heal.