Achilles Tenon Analysis

The Achilles tendon is located at the back part of the heel. The tendon receives blood supply from three sources: the musculo-tendinous junction, the paratenon and distally at the tendon insertion to the bone. (Karlsson 2015) The Achilles joins the heel bone to your calf muscles, with its main purpose is plantar flexion, which is the bending of the foot downwards at the ankle. The average age of a person suffering this injury is twenty-nine to forty with a large majority of all patients being male. When the Achilles is at rest, the fibres in the tendon are presented in a wavelike formation. That disappears when stretching of the tendon surpasses two percent. The tendon will return to its normal state after release of the tension in the tendon …show more content…
The elasticity of the Achilles allows this function to take place to relieve stress on the ankle. One important factor to note is that the larger cross section area space a tendon has, the amount of stress and force that can be withstood increases before failure. (Karlsson 2015) A rupture can occur when sudden force is placed on the ankle while cutting or landing awkwardly. The symptoms of having an Achilles rupture are hearing a snap in the ankle, followed by a diminished amount of pain. (Payne 2016) If completely torn, the person may have a sensation of having a gap above the back of the heel. That is not always recognizable because swelling and bruising may cover the gap. More potential risks that could cause a case of Achilles rupture include wearing improper footwear, overuse, misalignment, …show more content…
In the case of the player in the video, surgery would be the option. When surgery takes place, an incision is made to open a longitudinal area that is medial to the tendon. The direction of this incision allows skin to heal more efficiently and reduce risk of scarring to the underlying tendon repair. (Wisconsin 2015) When the incision is made and the doctor is able to see and identify the location of the rupture, clamps are used to match the ends together in an optimal tendon length. A primary repair of the two ends of the tendon is performed by stitching them together. There are many different stitching techniques to repair the tendon. The type used may vary by the surgeon, the type and damage of the area around the rupture, and the quality of the soft tissue. If an individual uses the route of having percutaneous repair of the tendon, infection rates will go down, but there will be an increased rate of injury to the Sural nerve. (Gulati