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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