Bryan Betty: Rupturing the Achilles tendon

Saturday Morning with Jack Tame

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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