Achilles Tendon Rupture
All interesting heroes have an Achilles' heel - Jo Nesbo
image by: John C Kefalas MD
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Mapping the body: achilles tendon
The achilles is a ropelike band of tissue, which connects the calf muscle to the heel on each side, and is crucial for walking, running and jumping. With time and disuse, the tendon can become weak and prone to rupture. So it's no surprise that injuries to this part of the body tend to occur in middle-aged men enjoying a spurt of uncharacteristic activity, especially where leaping and pivoting are involved. Tripping or falling from a height are also mechanisms of injury.
Resources
Aaron Rodgers’s Injury: Achilles Tendon Experts Answer Key Questions
Did turf cause his injury? Did his calf strain make him vulnerable? Was it a fluke? Could the Jets have seen this coming—and therefore taken preventative steps? Is there any way to predict tears? Here’s what they had to say.
What’s the recovery timeline for an Achilles tear? Injury expert weighs in on Aaron Rodgers’ outlook
The Achilles tendon connects the muscles in the calf to the heel bone. When you grab just above your ankle and squeeze the back of your leg, you can feel the Achilles. It’s very strong (fibrous), so tears/ruptures are more rare than something like tendonitis. The strength of the tendon is why experts look for the “ripple” effect in diagnosing these injuries on film. For a rupture to occur, there has to be a powerful, often sudden, overstretching force.
The Big Gamble on Kevin Durant’s Achilles Tendon
NBA stars have come back from an Achilles rupture, but usually not to their pre-injury performance levels.
Achilles tendon injuries: Why do they take so long to heal?
A torn or ruptured Achilles tendon is every athlete’s – and sports fan's – greatest fear. They always seem to happen in a split second: One quick pivot or a hard hit and, just like that, you or your favorite player are sidelined for nearly a year.
Achilles Tendon Rupture
Achilles tendon rupture is the most common tendon rupture in the lower extremity. The injury most commonly occurs in adults in their third to fifth decade of life. Acute ruptures often present with sudden onset of pain associated with a "snapping" or audible "pop" heard at the site of injury.
Achilles tendon rupture: how to avoid missing the diagnosis
A sudden pain in the back of the leg, with an audible snap, is the classic story in Achilles tendon rupture. Patients will often think that they have been hit directly in the calf; it is very rare for there to be prior symptoms from the tendon.
Conservative interventions for treating Achilles tendon ruptures
The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in the human body. It attaches the powerful calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to the heel bone (calcaneus). Rupture of the Achilles tendon is one of the most common tendon injuries in the adult population...
How Kevin Durant Beat the Worst Injury in Basketball
His comeback from an Achilles tear has tilted the NBA’s balance of power. How did he do it? Durant’s surgeon and rehab team explain.
Return to football after Achilles tendon rupture
Achilles tendon ruptures can have dramatic career implications for the athlete. These are complex injuries, with surgical intervention being only the first step in the recovery. The ultimate return to function is based on a variety of variables, some of which are controllable by the surgeon, athlete, and therapists.
Mapping the body: achilles tendon
The achilles tendon is is crucial for walking, running and jumping – and if it ruptures, you'll be in a cast for weeks.
Achilles SpeedBridge™ Repair
The Arthrex SpeedBridge repair is an innovative soft-tissue fixation device used in the treatment of Achilles injuries. While standard anchor fixation of the tendon creates only a single point of compression directly over the anchor, the SpeedBridge repair enables an hourglass pattern of FiberTape® suture to be laid over the distal end of the tendon. This 4-anchor construct enables a true knotless repair and a greater area of compression for the Achilles tendon on the calcaneus, improving stability such that immediate postoperative weightbearing and range of motion is possible.
Foot Health Facts
Achilles tendon ruptures are most often seen in "weekend warriors"—typically, middle-aged people participating in sports in their spare time. Less commonly, illness or medications, such as steroids or certain antibiotics, may weaken the tendon and contribute to ruptures.
FootCareMD
Both non-surgical and surgical treatments have been well studied but remain debated. In general, surgical treatment is thought to give greater strength and result in a lower risk of repeat tear.
StatPearls
Achilles tendon rupture is the most common tendon rupture in the lower extremity. The injury most commonly occurs in adults in their third to fifth decade of life. Acute ruptures often present with sudden onset of pain associated with a "snapping" or audible "pop" heard at the injury site. Patients may describe a sensation similar to being kicked in the lower leg.
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