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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 36/6/1110    most recent 0363546508314427v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Google Scholar Articles by Sarimo, J. Articles by Orava, S. PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Sarimo, J. Articles by Orava, S. Related Collections Muscle Operative

Complete Proximal Hamstring Avulsions

A Series of 41 Patients With Operative Treatment

Janne Sarimo, MD, PhD^*,, Lasse Lempainen, MD^*,,, Kimmo Mattila, MD, PhD^,|| and Sakari Orava, MD, PhD^*,

From the ^* Mehiläinen Sports Trauma Research Center, Mehiläinen Hospital and Sports Clinic, Turku, Finland, Paavo Nurmi Center, Sports and Exercise Medicine Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland, Department of Surgery, Satakunta Central Hospital, Pori, Finland, and ^|| Medical Imaging Centre of Southwest Finland, University Hospital of Turku, Turku, Finland

Address correspondence to Lasse Lempainen, MD, Department of Surgery, Satakunta Central Hospital, Sairaalantie 3, FI–28500 Pori, Finland (e-mail: lasse.lempainen{at}utu.fi).

Background: Complete proximal hamstring avulsions can cause considerable morbidity and are often associated with significant functional loss.

Hypothesis: Early surgical treatment leads to better results than does surgery in the chronic phase.

Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

Methods: Forty-one patients (21 men and 20 women) with a complete proximal hamstring avulsion were included. The cases were retrospectively analyzed, and a 4-category rating system was used to evaluate the overall result of the surgical treatment.

Results: The mean follow-up was 37 months (range, 12–72 months). Nineteen patients were rated as having an excellent result and 10 patients a good result. In 5 patients, the result was classified as moderate and in 7 patients poor. In the patients with an excellent or good result, the delay from the injury to surgery averaged 2.4 months, whereas in patients with a moderate or poor result, the delay averaged 11.7 months. The difference was statistically significant (P < .001).

Conclusion: Excellent or good results can often be expected with surgery, and considerable improvement of symptoms may be achieved even in chronic cases. According to the results, early operative treatment in complete proximal avulsions of the hamstring muscles gives better results than does late surgery and is therefore recommended.

Key Words: hamstring • muscle injury • complete tear • avulsion • surgical treatment