Quinolones and tendon ruptures

South Med J. 2000 May;93(5):488-91.

Abstract

We report two cases of tendon rupture associated with ciprofloxacin. One patient had a complete rupture of an Achilles tendon 6 months after taking the medication. The other case involved a partial rupture of the subscapularis tendon. Both ruptures occurred with minimal mechanical stress on the tendons, suggesting that the fluoroquinolone increased the susceptibility to rupture. We also review the literature describing the association between fluoroquinolones and tendon rupture and discuss the mechanisms explaining the heightened risk of tendon rupture associated with these drugs.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Achilles Tendon / drug effects*
  • Adult
  • Anti-Infective Agents / adverse effects*
  • Ciprofloxacin / adverse effects*
  • Disease Susceptibility
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Muscular Diseases / chemically induced*
  • Rotator Cuff / drug effects*
  • Rupture, Spontaneous / chemically induced
  • Stress, Mechanical

Substances

  • Anti-Infective Agents
  • Ciprofloxacin