Achilles tendon rupture: rising incidence in New Zealand follows international trends

Abstract

It is often reported in the literature that the incidence of Achilles tendon ruptures has increased over the last few decades. In New Zealand, for the period July 1998 to June 2003, the incidence of Achilles tendon ruptures rose from 4.7/100,000 in 1998 to 10.3/100,000 in 2003, an increase of 119%. Over the same period, the population rose from 3.8 million to 4 million, an increase of a little over 5%. From June 2002 to July 2003, the costs incurred for 412 Achilles tendon ruptures was NZ$1.8 million. Rehabilitating these patients places an extra burden on the health system in this relatively small country. With this in mind, a literature search was undertaken in an attempt to answer the questions: has the incidence of Achilles tendon rupture changed, is this related to any life-style changes, and do New Zealand statistics follow international trends? Current evidence would indicate that this is a global trend, which is apparently linked, at least in part, to increased levels of participation in sports.

Keywords:

• ACHILLES TENDON
• NEW ZEALAND
• INCIDENCE