New tendon procedure replaces foot surgery

Tennis, pickleball, golf, running. Millions of people will suffer from over-use injuries this year, and the pain can literally stop you in your tracks.

When physical therapy and medications don’t help, surgery is usually the only option, but now, there’s a new minimally invasive procedure that will help ease your pain and get you back out doing what you love.

Ara Miralles started running in college, eventually running marathons, halves and 10K’s, but the wear and tear took its toll.

“It was just to the point where I had enough,” Miralles said.

Pain in her Achilles tendon forced Miralles to stop running. She tried physical therapy and PRP. Nothing helped.

“Her tendon was so inflamed and swollen and painful that you could see it from across the room. It was red and swollen,” said Kenneth Taylor, MD/sports medicine specialist.

Taylor uses percutaneous ultrasound tenotomy, or PUT, to break down the diseased tendon.

“We’re basically taking this needle, and we’re sticking it into the diseased part of the tendon,” said Taylor.

Increasing the blood flow to the tendon allows the body to rebuild itself naturally without surgery. PUT can be done at the doctor’s office, reducing the time for the procedure as well as costs. With traditional surgery, it takes patients at least six months to recover. With PUT, they can be up and running in six weeks.

“To see it actually look normal again in such a short period of time in a marathon runner, I think, is pretty amazing,” Taylor said.

Miralles was back running six weeks after the procedure. Eight months later, she completed the Boston Marathon in three hours and 43 minutes.

Taylor said pickleball players are also feeling the benefits of PUT.

This procedure can also be used for shoulders, hips and hamstrings, as well as tennis and golfer’s elbow, jumper’s knee, bone spurs and plantar fasciitis.