What is the Achilles tendon?
The Achilles tendon, connecting the calf muscles to the heel, is one of the strongest
tissues in the body. Injury to this dense band of tissue most commonly occurs
in the 30 to 60 year old males while playing tennis or basketball. The patient
usually reports feeling a "shot" in the back of the calf and then
having sharp pain. Swelling usually occurs from the bleeding associated with
the tendon rupture.
How Is an ruptured Achilles diagnosed?
 The
diagnosis is made by history and physical exam. The rupture can be confirmed
by a positive Thompson test: the examiner squeezes the calf while the
patient lies on their stomach, normally causing the foot to point like
a ballerina. When the Achilles tendon is completely torn, the foot does
not point because the tendon connecting the large muscles of the calf
to the heel bone is ruptured. Usually the defect in the ruptured tendon
can be felt by the examiner as well. We then define the type and area
of the tear with an MRI.
What are the treatment options?
The Achilles tendon can be surgically repaired by the following procedures:
- Percutaneous Repair
- Open Repair
- Open reconstruction with allograft (donor tissue)
In our athletic population, we usually repair complete Achilles tendon
ruptures by a percutaneous suture technique modified from that previously
described by Ma et al. >>click
here to learn more about percutaneous repair technique
What is the Rehabilitation protocol?
For a detailed rehabilitation of percutaneous or open ankle repair, click
here. |
