Chronic achilles tendon repair with flexor hallucis longus tendon harvested using a minimally invasive technique

Chronic ruptures of the Achilles tendon are debilitating injuries. Multiple procedures exist for operative repair. The flexor hallucis longus tendon is often harvested to augment the repair. The existing method of harvesting the flexor hallucis longus tendon is to approach the tendon either through an incision used to expose the Achilles tendon or through a separate incision placed along the medial border of the midfoot. This article describes a new minimally invasive technique for harvesting the flexor hallucis longus tendon and its use in the repair of a chronic tear in the Achilles tendon.