Achilles tendon ruptures and getting you back in the game

Achilles Ruptures are more common in men then women and the typical age group that is affected is between the ages of 30-50. Some other risk factors include race, genetics, medical conditions, musculoskeletal disease, ankle and foot alignment (pronation/hyper-pronation), obesity, sports, exercise, medication and smoking.

The Achilles tendon is the largest tendon in the body. It is connected to both the calf muscle and the heel bone and is a fibrous tissue that somewhat resembles twine. It is used when you walk, run, stand, jump and is especially stressed when you move quickly from side to side.

Although the Achilles tendon can withstand great stresses from running, twisting and jumping, it is extremely vulnerable to injury. A rupture of the tendon is a tearing and separation of the tendon fibers, so that the tendon can no longer perform its normal function.

People that are athletic and play sports or do extreme workouts are often times more frequently affected by Achilles tendon injuries. This is because they have jarring, ballistic movements. Sports like tennis, basketball and football all create these airborne movements. Also, exercises or workouts like jumping rope, or other high intensity movements can rupture the Achilles tendon. Corticosteroids and some other pain deterring injectables have been studied for their negative effect on the tendons, due to the medications actually breaking down the tissues and weakening the Achilles tendon.

When the tendon is ruptured, most notably, people remark of the popping sound they hear at the onset. It causes a tremendous amount of pain and unfortunately takes a very long time to heal.

There are several types of treatment options, both surgical and nonsurgical. The nonsurgical approach is to cast the foot in a pointed toe position and then gradually recasting to stretch the tendon back into place very slowly. The nonoperative repair has a much greater re-rupture rate than with surgery.

The surgical repair of the Achilles rupture involves several different options. All of the options will reconnect the two ends of the tear back together by suturing them back into place. Sometimes this is done with a flap drawn down from the gastrocnemius (calf muscle), while other times its achieved with a donated graft, or simply sewn back together with a specific suturing method that ties both sides down and reconnects the sutures in the midline of the tear.

Whichever of the treatment options that your physician may choose, expect the rehabilitation to be quite long. There is no weight bearing activity allowed for several weeks, and then from there their will be many weeks of therapy. The length of healing for the average person is usually around 4 to 6 months.

At week 8 after your treatment, your Achilles tendon will be primarily healed, but not strong enough to put undue stress on it. It must be overprotected for several months to insure that it is not reinjured. For competitive and exercise, or sports enthusiast, they can expect a good 6-9 months before being back to their normal extreme routines.

Lakeside Foot & Ankle Center
Podiatrists in Leesburg and The Villages, Florida
Our practice provides superior foot and ankle care for every walk of life using state of the art and time proven diagnostic and therapeutic techniques. We believe that prevention, prompt diagnosis, and early intervention are the key ingredients to minimize the impact of any problem on your life. We provide the full range of podiatric care, exhausting all conservative treatment options prior to graduating to surgical intervention when necessary. Our board-certified physicians are well versed in the arena of podiatric medicine and provide skilled and compassionate surgical care.

Our staff is committed to creating a warm and friendly environment to provide a relaxed and comfortable experience for you. We take pride in taking the time to thoroughly understand your concerns and make certain you comprehend all aspects of the treatment plan we formulate specifically for you. We work closely with primary care physicians and all other specialists to create a comprehensive care plan that takes all aspects of your health into consideration.

Lakeside Foot & Ankle Center offers a full array of podiatric services to help you maintain healthy feet.

The Villages
352.259.0854

Leesburg
352.728.1252