Achilles Tendon Rupture
The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in the body. It forms the attachment of the powerful calf muscles to the heel bone, allowing you to flex the ankle and push off during walking and running. It can be injured during sports activities or during falls or other trauma. If you rupture your tendon it is usually quite obvious – most people describe hearing a ‘pop’, something giving way and often feel like they’ve been hit on the back of the heel. Continuing with sporting activity is usually not possible and even walking can be very difficult. If you believe that you have ruptured your Achilles tendon it is important to seek medical advice urgently.
Is there a difference between a torn and ruptured achilles?
No, essentially these are the same thing. There can be differences in the severity of injury and some people call these partial or complete injuries. If you have injured your achilles then it is important to get this assessed urgently because missed achilles ruptures can be difficult to treat with worse long-term outcomes.
Do all ruptured achilles need surgery?
No, the majority of achilles ruptures can be managed without surgery but some will require an operation to bring the tendon ends together. This will depend on a number of factors including the anatomical location of the rupture, your activity level and the gap between the tendon ends. We use a mini-incision technique using the Arthrex PARS device which allows the sutures to be passed through a very small incision. This significantly reduces the chance of wound problem and nerve injury.
Can you walk on a ruptured achilles?
Yes. There is good evidence that early weightbearing after an achilles injury leads to a better outcome and reduces the risk of clots (DVT/PE) and re-rupture. We use a dynamic rehabilitation protocol that allows early weightbearing in a special boot – the Vacoped Boot.
How long is the recovery for ruptured achilles?
You can expect to spend approximately 8-9 weeks in a boot. Your recovery will be supervised by your surgeon and a dedicated physiotherapist. Your activity will have to be modified to allow tendon healing and there will be a progressive programme of exercises allowing you to do more as time passes. A return to sports can be anticipated at about 6 months.
