Physiotherapy for Adhesive Surgical Scar After Achilles Tendon Repair: Scar Mobilization and Exercise Case Report

Abstrak

Background: Adhesive surgical scars after Achilles tendon repair may restrict tissue mobility and contribute to pain, limited ROM, muscle weakness, gait impairment, and functional limitations.
Objective: To describe physiotherapy management and clinical changes in a patient with an adhesive linear surgical scar one month after right Achilles tendon repair.
Methods: A 63-year-old woman received two physiotherapy sessions on May 18 and 21, 2026, consisting of scar mobilization, AROM and PROM, isometric strengthening, weight shifting, walking, balance, and deep breathing exercises. Outcomes included pain, scar characteristics, muscle strength, anxiety, functional status, and ankle ROM.
Results: After two sessions, resting pain decreased from 2 to 0, movement pain from 6 to 4, and tenderness from 9 to 6. VSS improved from 7 to 5, HRS-A from 27 to 20, and Barthel Index from 90 to 99. Ankle muscle strength improved from 3/5 to 4/5. Dorsiflexion increased from 25° to 37°, plantarflexion from 38° to 40°, and eversion from 12° to 15°, while inversion remained 34°. Circumference difference remained unchanged at 1 cm.
Conclusion: Two physiotherapy sessions were accompanied by improvements in pain, scar characteristics, muscle strength, ankle ROM, anxiety, and functional status. However, causality cannot be established because this was a single case involving multimodal intervention without post-treatment follow-up.