The Achilles tendon is probably the strongest tendon in your body. It attaches your leg muscles on the heel bone, therefore transmits the forces from your calf to the feet for running and walking. One considerable physiological disadvantage of this Achilles tendon is that it as well as the leg muscles are a two-joint structure. Because of this the tendon along with the calf muscles crosses two joints – the knee joint along with the ankle joint. When throughout exercise the 2 joints will be moving in opposing directions, in this case the ankle is dorsiflexing at the same time that the knee is extending, then the force on the Achilles tendon is quite substantial and when there is a weakness or issue with the tendon perhaps it will rip or break. This could occur in sports activities such as basketball or badminton in which there is a quick stop and start movements.
In the event the Achilles tendon should rupture it may be rather dramatic. At times there is an perceptible snap, however in other cases there may be no pain and the athlete only drops to the floor as they loose all strength in the calf muscles through to the foot. There are lots of videos of the tendon rupturing in athletes accessible in places like YouTube. A straightforward search there will locate them. The video clips reveal just how striking the rupture is, exactly how easy it appears to occur and the way straight away debilitating it is in the athlete when it occurs. Clinically a rupture of the tendon is quite evident to diagnose and evaluate, as after they contract the calf muscles, the foot will not likely move. While standing they can not raise on to the toes. The Thompson test is a examination that when the calf muscle is compressed, then the foot should plantarflex. When the tendon is ruptured, then this does not occur.
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 support or splint. You can find mixed thoughts on the definitive strategy for an Achilles tendon tear. One choice is operative, and the other choice is to using a walking splint. The studies comparing the 2 options is rather apparent in indicating that there is no distinction between the two about the long term consequences, so that you can be relaxed in knowing that whatever treatment methods are used, then the long terms outcomes are exactly the same. In the short term, the surgical approach should get the athlete back to sport more quickly, but as always, any surgical procedure may have a little anaesthetic danger as well as surgical site infection risk. That risk needs to be weighed against the desire to come back to the activity faster.
What is probably more important in comparison to the choice of the operative or non-surgical therapy is the rehab after. The research is extremely obvious that the earlier standing and walking and motion is done, the higher quality the end result. This really needs to be done gradually and slowly but surely to allow for the tendon and the calf muscles to build up strength before the return to sport.