Surgical repair of the medial head of the gastrocnemius: two case reports and review.

Abstract

The gastrocnemius medial head distal musculotendinous junction injury is relatively common. Musculature contraction in an already stretched structure leads to muscle breakdown. Patients affected are often physically active middle-aged men. The typical presentation includes sudden pain, audible popping, bruising and localized tenderness. Occasionally, there is a palpable defect if the rupture is complete. Although the initial diagnosis can be made on the basis of a careful history and clinical examination, ultrasound or magnetic resonance imaging can be used to better describe the lesion. In complete ruptures, even when conservative treatment shows good results, it is common that the patient presents decreased muscle strength, difficulty returning to sports and permanent and visible gap. Considering surgical treatment in patients with complete ruptures and extensive injuries with a more than 5 cm gap may lead to better healing process, rapid rehabilitation and more efficient return to sports.

• Authors: Vitor Luis Pereira, Carlos Vicente Andreoli, Rafaella Figueiredo Vieira Santos, Paulo Santoro Belangero, Benno Ejnisman, Alberto de Castro Pochini
• Journal: Journal of surgical case reports (J Surg Case Rep) Vol. 2022 Issue 7 Pg. rjac335 (Jul 2022) ISSN: 2042-8812 [Print] England
• PMID: 35854818 (Publication Type: Case Reports)
• Copyright: Published by Oxford University Press and JSCR Publishing Ltd. © The Author(s) 2022.