[Study of the correlation between magnetic resonance imaging and surgery in the diagnosis of chronic Achilles tendinopathies].

Eighteen cases of chronic lesions of the heel cord were evaluated by MRI and operated. The sensitivity of MRI is high in detecting intratendinous lesions (positive predictive value of 0.94); this sensitivity is linked with an unsurpassed anatomical precision. The specificity in the diagnosis of intratendinous lesions is limited as regards partial rupture versus chronic inflammation. This technique can be improved by systematically making fine cuts in the transverse plane, absolutely perpendicular to the heel cord.