The Achilles tendon is among the most most robust tendon in your body. This tendon attaches the leg muscles on the heel bone, thus transmits the loads in the calf muscles to the feet for walking and running. One big anatomical downside of this Achilles tendon can it be as well as the leg muscles are a two-joint design. This means that the Achilles tendon along with the muscle crosses two joints – the knee joint along with the ankle. If during exercise the two joints are moving in opposing directions, in this case the ankle is dorsiflexing at the same time that the knee is extending, then the strain on the tendon is quite great and if there is some weakness or issue with the tendon it could tear or break. This can happen in sports such as tennis or boxing in which there is a sudden stop and start motion.
In the event the Achilles tendon may rupture it can be rather dramatic. At times there's an audible snap, although sometimes there can be no pain and the athlete merely collapses to the ground while they loose all strength with the calf muscles through to the foot. There are various video clips of the tendon rupturing in athletes available in places like YouTube. A straightforward search there will probably locate them. The video clips demonstrate just how striking the rupture is, exactly how simple it seems to occur and ways in which straight away disabling it is in the athlete when it happens. Clinically a rupture of the Achilles tendon is fairly clear to identify and assess, as once they contract the calf muscles, the foot will not likely move. When standing they can not raise on to the toes. The Thompson test is a evaluation that whenever the calf muscle is squeezed, then the foot ought to plantarflex. If the tendon is torn, then this does not happen.
The first aid treatment for an Achilles tendon rupture is ice and pain relief as well as the athlete to get off the leg, typically in a walking brace or splint. There are mixed viewpoints on the specified treatment for an Achilles tendon tear. One choice is operative, and the alternative option is to wearing a walking splint. The science reviewing the 2 approaches is rather apparent in showing that there is no distinction between the 2 regarding the long term results, so that you can be comfortable in knowing that whichever treatment methods are used, then the long terms outcomes are identical. For the short term, the operative treatment does get the athlete returning to sport more rapidly, however as always, any surgery may carry a small anaesthetic danger as well as surgical site infection risk. That risk has to be weighed against the requirement to return to the sport quicker.
What is probably more significant than the selection of the operative or non-surgical therapy is the rehab following. The evidence is very obvious that the faster weight bearing and movement is completed, the higher quality the outcome. This has to be carried out progressively and slowly to enable the Achilles tendon as well as the muscle to build up strength before the return to sport.