Achilles Tendon Research Paper

Tendons are made up of fibrous connective tissue that connect muscle to bone and can withstand a great amount of force. The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body connecting the calf muscles to the heel bone. An Achilles tendon rupture is a common injury, which consists of a tear through the tendon, usually occurring two inches or so above the heel. An Achilles tendon rupture may occur in the following situations; when the tendon has undergone degenerative changes, overuse, wearing high heels, flat feet, tight muscles or tendons in the leg, and abrupt tensing of the muscle. Achilles tendon injuries are common in people who participate in these sports: running, football, baseball, softball, basketball, and tennis. Men ages 30 and older are prone to Achilles tendon injuries and patients that do get surgery have a lower rerupture rate (0-5%) than a patient who does not get surgery (40%). …show more content…
The actual diagnosis relies on the patient’s history of the event, a physical exam, and a positive Thompson’s test. During the physical exam, the physician will inspect the patient’s lower leg for tenderness and swelling. If the tendon is completely ruptured the physician can feel a gap in the tendon. A physician may ask the patient to kneel on a chair, he will then squeeze the calf muscle to see if the foot automatically flexes. This is called a Thompson’s test, If it does not flex, you have ruptured your Achilles tendon (otherwise known as a Positive Thompson’s test). An ultrasound or MRI is another way to confirm that the tendon is torn. A strength assessment is sometimes used to determine how much strength the patient has gained or

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