A tear of the Achilles tendon is not an uncommon trauma in sports activity and could be quite dramatic if it occurs, because the calf muscles and the connected Achilles tendon play such an significant function. It is more likely to happen in explosive activities such as tennis. The real issue is that the achilles tendon and the two muscles attached to it cross two joints (the knee as well as the ankle joint) and if both joints are moving in contrary directions at the same time, especially if instantly (as can happen in tennis), then the likelihood of something going wrong is fairly high.
The management of an achilles tendon rupture is a bit controversial because there are two alternatives that the majority the research shows have got very similar outcomes. One choice is conservative and the other is operative. The conservative choice is typically putting the lower limb in cast that supports the foot pointing downwards slightly. Normally it takes up to six weeks to get better and after the cast is taken away, there ought to be a slow and gentle return to exercise. Physical rehabilitation is commonly used to help with that. Strengthening after an Achilles rupture is important to prevent the rupture from happening again. The surgical choice is to surgically sew the two ends of the tendon back together, this is followed by a period in a cast which is shorter compared to the conservative choice, and will be followed by a similar steady and slow return to activity. When longer term outcomes are compared the final result is usually about the same, but the operative technique has the additional chance of surgical or anaesthetic complications that the conservative method doesn't have. The choice as to which method is better is going to have to be one dependent on the experiences of the surgeon and the preferences of the individual with the rupture. There's a tendency for competitive athletes to go down the surgical pathway since it is considered that this does give a better short term outcome and get the athlete back to the sports field a lot quicker.
