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"Absolutely vital": Rupturing and rehabbing the Achilles tendon

Author
Bryan Betty ,
Publish Date
Sat, 5 Apr 2025, 12:48pm
Photo / Getty
Photo / Getty

"Absolutely vital": Rupturing and rehabbing the Achilles tendon

Author
Bryan Betty ,
Publish Date
Sat, 5 Apr 2025, 12:48pm

What is the Achilles tendon?   

  • It’s the largest strongest tendon in the human body.  
  • A fibrous cord that attaches the calve muscle of the lower leg to the heel.  
  • You can feel it at the back of your ankle.  
  • It’s critical to walking, running, and jumping.  

   

How do we injure it?  

  • The most common situation is during an active sport – rugby, soccer, basketball, etc.  
  • Happens with forceful movement sprinting, jumping. 
  • Quick stops or change in direction, direct trauma to the tendon. 
  • For older people, the tendon can weaken and rupture. 

   

What are the symptoms?  

  • A sudden sharp pain back of lower leg or heel.  
  • There’s often a popping or snapping sound.  
  • People are unable to walk or stand on tiptoes, and there’s swelling or bruising lower back of leg.  
  • You can sometimes see or feel a gap or indent in tendon.  

   

What do you do about it?  

  • You need diagnosis: a doctor will examine you and often order an ultrasound or MRI.  
  • Non-surgical: try and get to heal up on your own – only applies for a partial tear or a ‘non athlete’. 
  • Often put in special moon boot for up to 2 months  
  • Orthopaedic Surgeon: For a complete rupture, athletes, younger healthier patients – no surgery fails.  
  • Often within two weeks of injury, they stitch the tendon back together  
  • 3-6 months of recovery and physio involved to rehab and strengthen the tendon and get moving again. 

  

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