As the name suggests, it consists in the laceration of the strong and strong connective-fibrous band that joins the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus) to the calcaneus (or calcaneal bone).
In this article, the author will introduce readers to the "Achilles" tendon rupture topic, analyzing the causes and symptoms of this injury.
The following content has already been published by the magazine "RiabilitazioneOggi" in the March 2010 issue.
; the patient is then subjected to a period of antibiotics and 24 therapies in a hyperbaric chamber for an hour and a half per session.It is an anatomical ribbon-like structure, consisting of collagen fibrils, interposed between the sural triceps and the calcaneus, and is responsible for transmitting the mechanical impulses deriving from the muscular contraction of the calf to the skeletal segment, realizing a joint movement of fundamental importance: the thrust of the foot.
In addition to this fundamental task, the Achilles tendon exerts a buffer function against maximal voluntary and / or involuntary muscle contraction.
The Achilles tendon is capable of withstanding traction forces of 300 kg.
It is the most powerful tendon in the human body, but it has a lack of vascularity in the middle part.
Causes of Achilles Tendon Rupture
The rupture of the Achilles tendon is generally characteristic of subjects, sports and non-sportsmen, who over the years have had many episodes of tendinopathy due to functional overstressing (functional overload).
In sports, it manifests itself at the end of the career due to some triggering factors:
- Weight gain
- Poor hydration (as shown by a Japanese study)
- Use of antibiotics (eg: fluoroquinolones favor the onset of tendinopathies and tendon ruptures);
- Inadequate footwear and consequent imbalance in the breech load;
- Intensification of workouts after a forced rest period;
- Tendon stiffening after cortisone infiltration treatment;
- Etc.
Symptoms of Achilles Tendon Rupture
Symptoms and clinical signs vary according to the action that was taking place:
In the case in question, the patient felt "a stone" in the tendon while kicking the ball and after a "functional impotence with the ascent of the sural triceps muscle towards the popliteal fossa; at first he thought he had been kicked from behind.
Rupture of the Achilles Tendon: Who does it affect?
The rupture of the Achilles tendon is the most common of all subcutaneous tendon ruptures; in fact, if it is true that in some older cases the ruptures of the heel tendon do not appear in the first place in order of frequency, it must be considered that in the last decades, this injury has become increasingly frequent, especially in those addicted to sport.
The rupture of this tendon not only affects the sports field, but is also highlighted in elderly subjects, who do not carry out sports activities, but who have dysmetabolic and inflammatory alterations in this district.
The rupture of the Achilles tendon mainly affects male subjects between the ages of 25 and 50; the lowest values are found in athletes, while after the age of 60 the injury is quite rare.
This lesion is found in higher percentages on the left side (57%) than on the right side (43%); these data are in agreement with the findings of a study carried out by Riede on a population of about 500 students, in 58% of whom the left limb was the dominant one in pushing the foot against the ground.
Contemporary bilateral Achilles tendon injuries are extremely rare.
Edited by Professor Rosario Bellia
;- Rehabilitation Techniques: Deep Transverse Massage (MTP or Cyriax);
- Rehabilitation Techniques: InterX Therapy;
- Rehabilitation Techniques: Cupping Therapy;
- Rehabilitation Techniques: Crochetage;
- Rehabilitation Techniques: Stretching CHRS (Contract-Hold-Relax-Stretch);
- Rehabilitation Techniques: Kinesiologico® Taping;
- Rehabilitation Techniques: Rehabilitation of the Way.
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