The Achilles tendon is regarded as the most powerful tendon in your body. It connects your calf muscles to the heel bone, thus transmits the loads from the calf to the feet for walking and running. One significant physiological downside of this Achilles tendon would be that it and the leg muscles is a two-joint structure. Which means that the tendon and the calf muscles traverses two joints – the knee and the ankle joint. If throughout exercise the 2 joints are moving in contrary directions, in this instance the ankle is dorsiflexing at the same time that the knee joint will be extending, then the force on the Achilles tendon is actually substantial and if there may be a weakness or issue with the Achilles tendon it may rip or break. This could happen in sports activities similar to tennis or badminton where there is a sudden stop and start activity.
In the event the Achilles tendon may rupture it is typically really dramatic. Occasionally there's an perceptible snap, yet other times there could be no pain and the athlete merely drops down while they loose all strength with the calf muscles through to the foot. There are several video clips of the tendon rupturing in athletes available in places like YouTube. A basic search there will probably find them. The videos show how extraordinary the rupture is, precisely how easy it appears to take place and just how instantly disabling it really is in the athlete as soon as it takes place. Clinically a rupture of the tendon is really clear to diagnose and assess, as whenever they contract the calf muscles, the foot will not likely move. While standing they are unable to raise on to the toes. The Thompson test is a check that when the calf muscle is compressed, then the foot should plantarflex. When the Achilles tendon is torn, then this doesn't happen.
The first aid approach to an Achilles tendon rupture is ice and pain relief and also for the athlete to get off the leg, commonly in a walking support or splint. You will find mixed opinions on the specified approach to an Achilles tendon rupture. One choice is operative, and the alternative choice is to wearing a walking brace. The research evaluating the 2 choices is rather clear in showing that there are no contrast between the 2 with regards to the long term results, so that you can be comfortable in knowing that whichever treatment is used, then the long terms outcomes are similar. For the short term, the surgical treatment does get the athlete back to sport a lot quicker, however as always, any surgery treatment does carry a minor anaesthetic danger and surgical wound infection risk. That risk has to be weighed against the necessity to go back to the sport faster.
What is quite possibly more significant than the choice of the surgical or non-surgical therapy is the actual rehab immediately after. The data is extremely clear that the earlier standing and walking and movement is completed, the greater the outcome. This must be done gradually and slowly to enable the Achilles tendon as well as the muscle to develop strength ahead of the resumption of sport.