What happens if you rupture your Achilles tendon?

What happens if you rupture your Achilles tendon?

Achilles Tendon Rupture. The Achilles tendon is at the back of the heel. It can be ruptured by sudden force on the foot or ankle. If your Achilles tendon is ruptured you will be unable to stand on tiptoe and will have a flat-footed walk.

How old is the golfer who ruptured his Achilles tendon?

(OBQ10.36) A 58-year-old golfer fell stepping into a sand trap and ruptured his Achilles tendon one year ago. He initially chose non-operative treatment, but became unsatisfied with a tender fullness behind his ankle and ankle weakness noticeable during his tee shots.

Are there any antibiotics that can cause an Achilles tendon rupture?

Certain antibiotic medicines may slightly increase the risk of having an Achilles tendon rupture. These are the quinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin and ofloxacin. The risk of having an Achilles tendon rupture with these antibiotics is actually very low and mainly applies if you are also taking corticosteroid medication.

What is the ESR of an Achilles tendon rupture?

(OBQ12.36) A 36-year-old man presents with fever, pain, and wound drainage 4 months after repair of an acute Achilles tendon rupture. A clinical image is shown in Figure A. Laboratory studies show an ESR of 29 (reference range 0-22 mm/hr).

Is there a way to exclude an Achilles tendon rupture?

In those patients, the examiner can exclude an Achilles tendon rupture) with the Thompson test. (see figure). The Thompson test, as shown, takes advantage of the fact that squeezing the patient’s calf muscles with the knee flexed should induce plantar flexion of the ankle if and only if the Achilles is intact.

Can a Thompson test detect an Achilles tendon rupture?

The Thompson test is helpful (indeed essential) here. At times, an Achilles tendon rupture is obvious on physical examination: a substantial defect in the Achilles 2-5 cm proximal to where it normally inserts into the heel bone is appreciated, beyond the positive Thompson test.

What causes wear and tear on the Achilles tendon?

The Achilles tendon is subject to high forces with each step and therefore subject to wear-and-tear damage. There are many pathological conditions that affect the Achilles tendon, but the most common chronic conditions are tendinitis and bursitis, and the most common acute condition is Achilles rupture (often super-imposed on wear-and-tear).

What are the symptoms of insertional Achilles tendonitis?

The pathology associated with insertional Achilles tendonitis includes the “terrible triad”: degeneration of the Achilles tendon near the insertion site, an inflamed retrocalcaneal bursitis, and a Haglund’s deformity (a prominent bony lump on the heel)