The Achilles tendon is among the most robust tendon within the body. The Achilles attaches the calf muscles on the heel bone, so transfers the forces from your calf muscles to the foot for walking and running. One major physiological disadvantage of this Achilles tendon would be that it plus the calf muscles are a two-joint design. Therefore the Achilles tendon and the muscle traverses two joints – the knee joint and also the ankle joint. If in the course of activity the 2 joints will be moving in contrary directions, in this case the ankle is dorsiflexing at the same time that the knee will be extending, then the force on the tendon is rather substantial and when there is some weakness or problem with the tendon it could rip or break. This would take place in sporting activities for example tennis or badminton where there are lot of quick stop and start movement.
When the Achilles tendon may rupture it can be pretty dramatic. At times there is an audible snap, but sometimes there may be no pain and the athlete simply falls to the floor as they loose all power from the calf muscles through to the foot. There are various videos of the tendon rupturing in athletes accessible in places like YouTube. A basic search there will locate them. The video clips reveal just how dramatic the rupture is, precisely how simple it appears to happen and the way straight away debilitating it is in the athlete as soon as it occurs. Clinically a rupture of the Achilles tendon is really evident to identify and evaluate, as when they contract the calf muscles, the foot will not move. When standing they are unable to raise up on to the toes. The Thompson test is a check that when the calf muscle is squeezed, then your foot should plantarflex. When the tendon is torn, then this does not happen.
The initial approach to an Achilles tendon rupture is ice and pain relief as well as the athlete to get off the leg, normally in a walking brace or splint. You can find mixed thoughts on the definitive approach to an Achilles tendon tear. One choice is surgical, and the alternative choice is to using a walking splint. The studies looking at the two choices is rather obvious in demonstrating that there's no distinction between the 2 concerning the long term results, so you can be comfortable in knowing that whichever treatment solution is used, then the long terms results are exactly the same. For the short term, the surgical method should get the athlete returning to sport quicker, however as always, any surgical treatment does have a modest anaesthetic danger as well as surgical site infection risk. That risk has to be compared to the requirement to come back to the activity quicker.
What's probably more significant compared to selection of the surgical or non-surgical therapy is the actual rehab immediately after. The research is very apparent that the quicker weight bearing and motion is done, the better the end result. This must be undertaken progressively and slowly but surely permitting the tendon along with the muscle to build up strength before the resumption of sporting activity.