Aim: This systematic review and meta-analysis sought to identify return to play (RTP) rates following Achilles tendon rupture and evaluate what measures are used to determine RTP.
Design: A systematic review and meta-analysis were performed. Studies were assessed for risk of bias and grouped based on repeatability of their measure of RTP determination.
Data sources: PubMed, CINAHL, Web of Science and Scopus databases were searched to identify potentially relevant articles.
Eligibility criteria for selecting studies: Studies reporting RTP/sport/sport activity in acute, closed Achilles tendon rupture were included.
Results: 108 studies encompassing 6506 patients were included for review. 85 studies included a measure for determining RTP. The rate of RTP in all studies was 80% (95% CI 75% to 85%). Studies with measures describing determination of RTP reported lower rates than studies without metrics described, with rates being significantly different between groups (p<0.001).
Conclusions: 80 per cent of patients returned to play following Achilles tendon rupture; however, the RTP rates are dependent on the quality of the method used to measure RTP. To further understand RTP after Achilles tendon rupture, a standardised, reliable and valid method is required.
Keywords: Achilles; Achilles tendon; Assessment; Physical activity; Sport.
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