Achilles Tendon Rupture

Some people don’t experience any symptoms when their Achilles tendon ruptures. However, it’s more likely  you’ll experience 1 or more of the following symptoms:

• severe pain in and around your heel

• swelling near your heel

• inability to bend your foot downwards

• inability to stand or walk on your affected leg

• a popping sound when the rupture occurs

Ruptures in your Achilles tendon usually happen when there’s a forceful movement of your foot against resistance, typically with your heel facing downwards. Examples of how this can happen include pushing your feet with great force to jump, or using gym equipment incorrectly.

Your Achilles tendon can also degenerate. This is known as tendinitis or tendinopathy, and can cause pain and stiffness along your Achilles tendon and near your heel. Having short calf muscles can also increase your risk of tendinopathy.

Risk factors

The risk factors for an Achilles tendon rupture include a variety of external influences, including: 

• age – the majority of incidents happen to people who are over 30. This is due to the overall decreased blood supply, which makes you more prone to injury

• weight - being overweight or having obesity can put added pressure on the tendon, making it more susceptible to rupture 

• exercise - excessive or abnormal training can cause repeated micro-traumas to the tendon, and this can result in an injury

• medications - certain antibiotics can increase the risk of a rupture occurring

If you suspect you’ve ruptured your Achilles tendon, your consultant will see you for an initial consultation. At this appointment, they’ll ask you about your symptoms, medical history, and how the injury happened, and they’ll conduct a physical examination.

To get a more accurate picture of the severity of your injury, they may want to run imaging tests. These could include:

• an ultrasound

• an MRI scan

Once your consultant has all the information they need, they’ll confirm that you have experienced an Achilles tendon rupture and map out an appropriate treatment plan for you.

Being proactive about preventing an Achilles tendon rupture is easier than managing one. If you’re going to be putting any moderate amount of pressure on your Achilles tendon, it’s wise to maintain the elasticity of your tendon through exercise.

An excellent maintenance exercise for your Achilles tendon is a standing calf stretch. Stretching in this manner for 15 to 30 seconds on each heel 1 to 3 times a day will help keep your tendons in good condition.

Strengthening exercises are also important to ensure that your Achilles tendon can handle increased periods of exercise. A good exercise designed to improve the capabilities of this tendon are seated calf raises.

Be sure to increase your exercise intensity slowly. Rapid increases in exercise intensity are a common way to incur an Achilles tendon rupture. If you run often, avoid hard or slippery surfaces to decrease the risk of injury.

If you seek treatment for a ruptured Achilles tendon, you’re not likely to experience any long-term complications. 

However, without treatment, a ruptured Achilles tendon may heal incorrectly. This makes it more likely that you’ll sustain further ruptures in future.

Your treatment options will differ depending on your unique situation. Your consultant will let you know what the most appropriate option is for you.

Generally, surgery is the most common treatment for an Achilles tendon rupture. This offers you the best chances of a full recovery in the shortest amount of time.

Surgery on your Achilles tendon can be performed as a minimally invasive procedure where a cut is made at the back of your calf and the ruptured tendon is stitched back together. If parts of the tendon are severely damaged, they may be replaced with tendon taken from another part of your foot. 

Other treatments for a ruptured Achilles tendon may be recommended, including rest, using ice and pain medicines, a device to stop movement of your foot, or physical therapy.

At Welbeck, our orthopaedic surgeons are experts in their field and are dedicated to providing world-class care to every patient.

With access to colleagues across other specialties, our consultants are also able to refer within the Welbeck ecosystem if required to ensure you receive the treatment you need as quickly as possible, all under one roof.  

All appointments, testing, treatment, and follow-up appointments take place within our state-of-the-art facilities, enabling us to deliver accurate diagnostics and advanced treatments.

Your health is important to us, so we strive to offer same-day appointments whenever possible.

Our consultants are recognised by the major health insurance companies. If you have private health insurance, your treatment at Welbeck can begin once you have obtained authorisation. We also provide care to self-paying patients. Learn more about the different payment options at Welbeck.

Get in touch today to book an appointment.