About this disease
What it is about
The Achilles tendon is of great importance for normal walking. If the Achilles tendon tears, walking is significantly more difficult and the strength in the calf is greatly reduced. The Achilles tendon tears most frequently in the middle portion. In addition, there are tears of the tendon from the heel bone and tears in the transition from the tendon to the calf muscle.
Symptoms and consequences
Symptoms usually include rather minor pain, loss of strength in the calf, and difficulty walking. Patients often report hearing or feeling a pop in the calf.
What we do for you
Examination and diagnosis
On examination, a dent is found in the tendon. This is where the tear is located. The strength to push the foot down or stand on tiptoe is absent or severely limited. Most of the time, the examination is sufficient to make the diagnosis. Supplementary ultrasound examination may be useful. If chronic previous damage is the cause, we need an MRI. We recognize a bony avulsion in a lateral X-ray of the calcaneus.
Treatment
It is possible to treat the tear conservatively or surgically. In patients who are active in sports, tendon suturing is preferable because the risk of a new tear is higher without surgery. In the case of bony avulsions, the tendon must be reattached to the bone. In the case of tears in the transition to the muscle, it is usually possible to proceed without surgery.