ACE Report Cover
CARTA vs Surgical and Nonsurgical Care for Achilles Rupture: No Difference in Muscle or Tendon
Language
Download
Cite
+ Favorites
Language
Download
Cite
+ Favorites
AceReport Image
FOOT & ANKLE
CARTA vs Surgical and Nonsurgical Care for Achilles Rupture: No Difference in Muscle or Tendon

Effect of the Copenhagen Achilles Rupture Treatment Algorithm (CARTA) on Calf Muscle Volume and Tendon Elongation After Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture: A Predefined Secondary Analysis of the First 60 Patients in a Randomized Controlled Trial.

Orthop J Sports Med . 2023 Nov 21;11(11):23259671231211282.

Sixty patients with acute Achilles tendon rupture were randomized to treatment using CARTA (n=21), nonsurgical management (n=20), or surgical repair (n=19). Outcomes were calf muscle volume and Achilles tendon elongation, measured by MRI after 12 months. Secondary measures included limb symmetry index and subgroup comparisons of surgical vs nonsurgical treatments. Overall, the study found no statistically significant differences in calf muscle volume or tendon elongation between CARTA-guided treatment and either control group, nor between surgical and nonsurgical treatment. All groups demonstrated significant muscle atrophy (24–30%) and tendon elongation (59–76% soleus; 8–14% gastrocnemius) in the affected limb compared to the unaffected side. These findings suggest CARTA did not improve structural outcomes compared with standard approaches, and surgery did not outperform nonsurgical care.

Unlock the Full ACE Report

You have access to 4 more FREE articles this month.
Click below to unlock and view this ACE Reports
Unlock Now

Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics

Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics

Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions

Exclusive access to original content articles, including in-house systematic reviews, and articles on health research methods and hot orthopaedic topics

Or upgrade today and gain access to all OrthoEvidence
content for as little as $1.99 per week.
0 of 4 monthly FREE articles unlocked
You've reached your limit of 4 free articles views this month

Access to OrthoEvidence for as little as $1.99 per week.

Stay connected with latest evidence. Cancel at any time.
  • Critical appraisals of the latest, high-impact randomized controlled trials and systematic reviews in orthopaedics
  • Access to OrthoEvidence podcast content, including collaborations with the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, interviews with internationally recognized surgeons, and roundtable discussions on orthopaedic news and topics
  • Subscription to The Pulse, a twice-weekly evidence-based newsletter designed to help you make better clinical decisions
Upgrade
Welcome Back!
Forgot Password?
Start your FREE trial today!

Account will be affiliated with


OR
Forgot Password?

OR
Please check your email

If an account exists with the provided email address, a password reset email will be sent to you. If you don't see an email, please check your spam or junk folder.

For further assistance, contact our support team.

Translate ACE Report

OrthoEvidence utilizes a third-party translation service to make content accessible in multiple languages. Please note that while every effort is made to ensure accuracy, translations may not always be perfect.

Cite this ACE Report

OrthoEvidence. CARTA vs Surgical and Nonsurgical Care for Achilles Rupture: No Difference in Muscle or Tendon. ACE Report. 2025;307(8):102. Available from: https://myorthoevidence.com/AceReport/Show/carta-vs-surgical-and-nonsurgical-care-for-achilles-rupture-no-difference-in-muscle-or-tendon

Copy Citation
Please login to enable this feature

To access this feature, you must be logged into an active OrthoEvidence account. Please log in or create a FREE trial account.

Premium Member Feature

To access this feature, you must be logged into a premium OrthoEvidence account.

Share this ACE Report