Athletes are more prone to injuries simply because they are more active and more in different directions than most people do. With that being said, an Achilles tendon rupture is an injury that you would see more commonly in an athlete because it comes from a force on the foot or the ankle. An Achilles tendon rupture can result in having surgery but also not having surgery depending on how bad the patient hurt it. Think of all the movements that your Achilles tendon helps you do, flexes your foot, helps you move it side to side, helps you stand, walk up the stairs, etc. The Achilles tendon is an important part of the leg and it is located behind the foot and above the heel. “It serves a basic function of connecting the soleus and gastrocnemius
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This method is called Percutaneous Achilles Repair System (PARS) in which the surgeon repairs the torn Achilles tendon using the damaged tendon and with a much smaller incision (Achilles Tendon Surgery). “This procedure creates a two centimeter horizontal incision located about four to six centimeters above the hell to insert the PARS device up (towards the knee). A special medical device makes this procedure possible. The PARS device has four prongs, two that go inside the leg to hold the tendon in place and two that go outside the leg” (Achilles Tendon Surgery). Each of those prongs have eight small holes that allow the surgeon to install suture all the way through the tendon. Once the top of the the tendon is secure the surgeon will pull the threads and secure the ends of the tendon together, and the tendon will mend and heal in that position. Although, this procedure is not for every patient, because the injury cannot be older than ten days and not every physician is specialized in that Achilles tendon repair procedure (Achilles Tendon Surgery). There is more than one type of fix for an Achilles tendon rupture and the doctor will make the best determination for the …show more content…
For the first few weeks it is recommended to do no stretching or exercise in order to let the tendon rest and time to heal (Rehabilitation). Also, the patient should not put weight on it and continue to elevate it to help decrease swelling. The first few weeks after surgery is where the patient is encouraged to do as little as possible. Between weeks four through eight, the patient can begin to start early gentle range of motion exercises and weight bearing with the cast-boot when walking. The patient will be fitted with a removable ankle brace that has rubber wedges under the heel to help elevate it. This also is keeping the foot in a toe-down position and allows the patient to put full weight on the foot as long as the brace. Depending on how the patient feels, he or she can use one crutch or not use them at all and only have the brace on if there is no pain from the foot or ankle (Price). It is highly recommended to continue to help decrease swelling by elevating the ankle. The patient can start doing weight exercises for the upper body only and assigned exercises to help the lower body and injured area. With the exercise program the exercises that are included without the brace are ankle flexion-extension and ankle circles. The exercises with the brace on include straight leg life, hip abduction, standing hamstring curl, and the stationary cycle for ten to twenty minutes daily (Price).
This method is called Percutaneous Achilles Repair System (PARS) in which the surgeon repairs the torn Achilles tendon using the damaged tendon and with a much smaller incision (Achilles Tendon Surgery). “This procedure creates a two centimeter horizontal incision located about four to six centimeters above the hell to insert the PARS device up (towards the knee). A special medical device makes this procedure possible. The PARS device has four prongs, two that go inside the leg to hold the tendon in place and two that go outside the leg” (Achilles Tendon Surgery). Each of those prongs have eight small holes that allow the surgeon to install suture all the way through the tendon. Once the top of the the tendon is secure the surgeon will pull the threads and secure the ends of the tendon together, and the tendon will mend and heal in that position. Although, this procedure is not for every patient, because the injury cannot be older than ten days and not every physician is specialized in that Achilles tendon repair procedure (Achilles Tendon Surgery). There is more than one type of fix for an Achilles tendon rupture and the doctor will make the best determination for the …show more content…
For the first few weeks it is recommended to do no stretching or exercise in order to let the tendon rest and time to heal (Rehabilitation). Also, the patient should not put weight on it and continue to elevate it to help decrease swelling. The first few weeks after surgery is where the patient is encouraged to do as little as possible. Between weeks four through eight, the patient can begin to start early gentle range of motion exercises and weight bearing with the cast-boot when walking. The patient will be fitted with a removable ankle brace that has rubber wedges under the heel to help elevate it. This also is keeping the foot in a toe-down position and allows the patient to put full weight on the foot as long as the brace. Depending on how the patient feels, he or she can use one crutch or not use them at all and only have the brace on if there is no pain from the foot or ankle (Price). It is highly recommended to continue to help decrease swelling by elevating the ankle. The patient can start doing weight exercises for the upper body only and assigned exercises to help the lower body and injured area. With the exercise program the exercises that are included without the brace are ankle flexion-extension and ankle circles. The exercises with the brace on include straight leg life, hip abduction, standing hamstring curl, and the stationary cycle for ten to twenty minutes daily (Price).