What is tendoachilitis

The Achilles tendon is a tough band of fibrous tissue that connects the calf muscles to the heel bone (calcaneus). The Achilles tendon is also called the calcaneal tendon.
The gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (calf muscles) unite into one band of tissue, which becomes the Achilles tendon at the low end of the calf. The Achilles tendon then inserts into the calcaneus. Small sacs of fluid called bursae cushion the Achilles tendon at the heel
The Achilles tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. When the calf muscles flex, the Achilles tendon pulls on the heel. This movement allows us to stand on our toes when walking, running, or jumping. Despite its strength, the Achilles tendon is also vulnerable to injury, due to its limited blood supply and the high tensions placed on it.

SYMPTOMS & DIAGNOSIS

Achilles tendinopathy treatment

  • Stiffness and pain along the Achilles tendon that worsens with activity and is present in the morning.
  • Severe pain the day after exercising.
  • Thickening of the tendon.
  • Bone spurs.
  • Constant swelling that gets worse throughout the day with activity.
  • A sudden”pop” in the back of your calf or heel.

Treatment

Achilles Tendon Surgery

If your Achilles is torn, your doctor may recommend surgery. The younger and more active you are, the more likely that surgery will be the best option.

You should have the surgery within 4 weeks of the injury. Your surgeon will make a small incision in the back of your ankle and sew the Achilles back together. Sometimes they’ll need to sew other tendons in to make things even stronger. Between 80% and 90% of these operations are successful.

Your doctor could decide not to do surgery if you’re older and less active, or if you have only a partial tear.


Moya-Moya blood vessel at site of Achilles tendinopathy

After embolization moya moya blood vessel disappear.

Patient Reviews

FAQ

Click on the down arrow button to see the answer.
Tearing your Achilles tendon is typically related to sports. Usually the tear happens when your momentum is going backward and then you decide to move forward. An example is backpedaling for an overhead in tennis and then striding forward to hit the shot.
There are a few options. A traditional open surgery is the most popular method for top athletes hoping to get back to peak physical ability in the shortest amount of time possible. The biggest drawback to open surgery is the potential for infection. If the Achilles tendon gets infected, it could mean a long and complex recovery. Closed treatment (without surgery) has been shown to be effective in healing the Achilles, but there are signs that forgoing surgery can lead to a greater chance of it being re-torn in the future. Finally, there’s a happy-medium approach, which is minimally invasive surgery. This technique has the benefits of open surgery—such as less risk of being re-torn—while limiting the likelihood of infection.
Typically, it’s about 10 months to a year before patients are back to doing what they were doing before tearing their Achilles. Life is about managing expectations: The top athletes have the best trainers and nutritionists to get them back in the game, and even then it can take 9 months or longer for them to recover.
Stretching and being sufficiently strong and flexible are all important. Also, I suggest staying within the boundaries of your own physical ability when being active. Exercise and sports should be about fun and not about pushing your body to the point of potential catastrophic injury—this is always a good strategy.