Hello! I have been a doctor for 21 years. My name is Georgy Olegovich Sapego. In this article, I will talk about a ruptured Achilles tendon.
Everyone knows the Achilles tendon. It runs down the leg from the back of the heel up. This is the thickest tendon in our body.
The Achilles tendon can be damaged by anyone - athletes and people in sedentary jobs.
When the Achilles tendon hurts, it is often called tendinitis. And this is not always true. Tendinitis is an inflammation of the tendon, but the Achilles tendon can be just pain without any inflammation. This is called tendinopathy.
Most often people tear the Achilles tendon between the ages of 30 and 40. At this time, problems already begin in different tendons, and people still remain quite jumpy. They run up the stairs and stuff.
Personally, I had a tendon in my shoulder when I was 37 years old. Then I had to do special exercises with dumbbells for four months, 2 times a day. It seemed that the age was still young.
The Achilles tendon is often torn by men.
Fragile tendons
Sometimes the tendon is torn by people who have taken antibiotics from the fluoroquinolone group. This is a known issue. Fluoroquinolones make the tendons brittle and vulnerable.
There is even a special system or algorithm that calculates what can be done if fluoroquinolones have to be taken. When you can lift weights, play sports and all that.
Tendons are also fragile in those who regularly use glucocorticoids and in people over 60.
How does it happen
Some people like to start a new life on Monday. Suddenly they run somewhere in the morning, and then they have pain above the heel behind.
This can happen to anyone. If you slow down in time, then usually everything goes away.
If people continue to run and jump without any control, then the pain in the leg becomes constant. If it hurts for more than 3 months, then this tendinopathy is called chronic. In this case, minor damage accumulates in the Achilles tendon.
The Achilles tendon attaches to the calcaneus. The problem is that the last few centimeters of the tendon in front of the heel are very poorly supplied with blood. There are few blood vessels. Therefore, minor damage does not have time to overgrow.
The tendon gradually loses its elasticity. Scars, seals, calcium deposits appear in it. At some point, a sudden sharp load can tear the diseased tendon. You don't have to go in for sports, you can just stumble on the stairs.
An Achilles tendon rupture is often confused with an ankle sprain. Both hurt about the same. The difference is that the ankle is tucked when they land on the foot, and the tendon is torn when the toes are suddenly pushed off the surface.
Pain in the back above the heel will appear. The pain is often called burning.
In this case, the victim may well remain a walker.
It can be difficult to figure it out without a specialist, so contact the emergency room immediately. If you are late, you will be sent to the surgeon. The surgeon does not often deal with such injuries, so he may be mistaken. We need a traumatologist.
The doctor will jerk the foot and hurt. He will poke his finger at the torn area. This is normal. If the doctor only sends an X-ray and does not twitch anything, then this is bad. Look for another doctor.
On the first day after the injury, the easiest way to get a traumatologist is in the emergency room. Neither documents nor registration are needed there. The main thing is to bring your leg to the emergency room on the very first day after the injury. Don't miss this opportunity. Free adult outpatient trauma surgeons are rare.
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