Over 75% of Achilles tendon tears are associated with playing ball sports (commonly basketball or tennis). If you can find a way to work up a sweat without scaring your leg, or even working out without a sweat, you may find that the whole world seems a bit brighter. I was prescribed a heavy antibiotic to fight any bacterial infections that could result from the open wound, and he taped the wound together. An MRI would work, but an ultrasound would be much easier and cheaper. 21ach Deeleft, I usually encourage everybody to start a blog, but your story is obviously more involved and interesting than most, so do so if you are tempted starting with the email outlined on the Main Page. If you can, start a blog and catch us up and keep us posted. I am currently 18 days post surgery and 9 days post fall. I guess this means the heal attachment must have been pretty strong since it held. What to Expect When Treating Your Muscle Injury with PRP Is some movement a good sign? However, I still have swelling in my heel and foot, and the swelling in the heel was too uncomfortable (chafing) and I had to switch back to the boot. Treatment of acute achilles tendon rupture. Here is a link to a JPG showing my Achilles wrapped in the GraftJacket, right before they sewed up the skin: I am so devastated. It felt better in the spring and I was able to wakeboard and hike. Spend your time wisely, set some weekly goals (read a book or two a week). I decided against it. . The most reliable exceptions have been folks like Durwood (see above) whose reruptures were stale when they re-started treatment. Do you have a blog here, with the ATR timeline widget to refresh our/my memory of your timing, etc.? Just wondering. The advantage of non-surgical treatment is that the potential surgical risks are avoided, and the long-term functional results are similar to those patients that undergo surgical treatment., Thevendran G, Sarraf KM, Patel NK, Sadri A, Rosenfeld P. The ruptured Achilles tendon: a current overview from biology of rupture to treatment. You have been through it! At the time it happened (especially when my right foot gave way that night when I was putting on my pajamas), I was almost in tears. You would know and you would certainly not be able to walk with a normal gait or do a heel rise. position with recasting until I was able to keep my foot at 90 degrees at the end of the two months. Theres no good evidence pro or anti non-op treatment of reruptures, so it makes me nervous. Officially Willets et al 2010, we usually call it the UWO Study, done at U of W. Ontario. There are other tricks, too. I suspect that mentally its going to be tougher to deal with this time around although I know what Im up against! Thanks for the advice. I am gonna set it all up when I am laid up for a week straight. To learn more about their experiences, please visit their blogs: In Daves case, he was fitted with half-length boot that came up to middle of his calf, not all the way up to just-below his knees. Ive now unfortunately ruptured my other Achilles 4 weeks ago, playing hockey this time. The bad news is that few if any of us are born with the tools to do that, and most of us havent acquired them pre-ATR either. Had me a brand new pair of hiking boots. Too much of it is contrasting the evidence from the study with popular understanding or general practice or other things, as if everythings just as important and just as valid. And yes, crawling up and down the stairs to your loo sucks. Improper footwear including those . Fast forward a couple of hours later and I slip going up the stairs of my house. Personally I wouldnt start PWB as tolerated until you get them. I was hoping that I had just torn some of the stitches. Or not. Still have a bit of pain and a bruise at rerupture (on one side of leg). So now back in the walking boot for several more weeks (bad news). Ruptures in the Achilles Tendon usually happen when there is a forceful movement of the foot against . The tendon felt very strong, even stronger than my left. I am 2.5 weeks post op and got the boot on 3 days ago, I am allowed to put my weight on it. I followed the bike ride with an over 2 mile trail walk in my crocs with almost zero limp. Other than that I can only think of a tiny tiny cut, maybe 1 mm on my ankel(dunno how I got it) so I really have no clue of exactly where the infection was coming from. He told me that since there is swelling around the ancle he can to tell for sure if I re-ruptured the tendon or not. I am trusting less and less into my surgeon. I had an MRI today and will get the results tomorrow. She told me that she has had another guy that did this using the conservative treatment, and that hes playing basketball today. The last 4 weeks have flown but advances seem slower. Follow the instructions in the third paragraph on the main page of this site. I am a 59 year old man who in on the verge of tears as I was hoping to be back out in the world after working at home, was supposed to be in shoes with lifts in 2 weeks. She put me in a cast - planning on going through 3 - every 2 weeks. At 7 weeks out I fell and ruptured the tendon again up higher in a different place. [Acute achilles tendon rupture : State of the art]. I hated it, and sometimes stayed up all night tossing and turning (or just watching TV until the next day). What was it that you were doing that created the pop on the 14th August? This will likely include a physical exam and discussion on the cause of injury. Georgia- If you got your boot 3 days ago, I assume the doctor checked it then too. Obesity: Excess weight places additional strain on the . Has any body had a similar operation so I know what to expect? Thanks for posting your story Rodney. My surgeon is very concerned about infection which I know is a risk but I am pretty young (30), non-smoker and otherwise healthy. Can you wiggle your foot up and down at all? Some people have commented that Doctors dont like the boots because some patients just take them off when they are not suposed to but they offer every bit as good protection as a cast. Norm because my tendon is in bad shape with long standing inflammation, two surgeons (good friends) I chatted with said that the surgery would help bring some bleeding to the area and help heal my otherwise very unhealthy tendon as my doc says. Any reason other than the gap might be a lot bigger? I cant do the Thompsons test because of the splint. Surgery usually works very well, and the modern fast non-op protocols do, too, according to the evidence. Answer was sure, now I will be lucky if it is Christmas! I can put my leg up at my desk without feeling any kind of strain on the tendon, and if anything, the pain has decreased compared to before the slip. Hydrocolloid bandages are used to treat open, superficial wounds and open pimples. Dr. Bennett specializes in treating issues and injuries of the shoulder, elbow and knee and some hand and wrist injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome and trigger finger. The classic symptom of an Achilles Tendon rupture is the inability to rise up on your toes. It was treated conservatively. That sounds nonsense. June 2, after spending 6 weeks on cast both of my foot finally can have a taste of the ground, and believe it or not it lasted only 2 hours until I tripped and fell. Possible swelling around the ankles and lower part of the calf. The second was a more genteel pop. My doctor allowed me after 2 weeks in the boot (so 6 weeks post-surgery) to take the boot off at night. Hopefully everything goes as planned from here on out. I hope all goes well with your second surgery, and keep us posted on your recovery process. Feel free to look at the data and correct me if Im wrong. Bursitis occurs in areas where muscle or tendon goes over or connects to bone. nobodys done a study of faster, so its unproven. I remember back in Jan I asked Dr. will I be able to go on vacation to the beach in August. However, when he did the squeeze calf test my foot did not move, thus his concern that I re-ruptured it. I absolutely love the sport, but I also absolutely do not want to go through this again. If you choose to forego treatment, you may be more likely to rupture it again. My left foot flexed past 90 degrees, and I felt a rip followed by intense pain at the surgical site. It gets better every day, I look at it as one big obstacle course. We went to away when I still had a cast on last year without it causing any problems. In fact, I think ALL the new studies that have proven that the non-op approach works well on initial ruptures, actually sent all their own RE-ruptures under the knife. I dont understand why an MRI cant be done now. Active male Ok, time for another Cryocuff before I go to bed. This is no joke and its not a sprained ankle. If you had an abscess caused by the suture material and all they did was clean out the abscess, you stand a very high chance of getting one again. Surgery #2 on right side in July 2008. Churches are there and want to help! Enough to make me lay down. And thats for simple straight-forward sports-type initial ATRs, of the sort that dominate the populations in the scientific studies. I obviously dont advice others to be as stupid as I am, Im just a really inpatient person, reason why I snapped it in the first place. This site has been a great resource. Brian, 2 days later I lost balance and put full weight on my big toe of the injued foot. I felt a small snap, and a bit of pain in my lower calf. Good to hear you would choose the same routine I am doing! It sounds like you had an abscess, correct? Anyway, best wishes to all of you, keep trying to think positive! Seems like with UWO protocal has been working well for lots of people with reruptures, and thats the approach that has worked well. In addition, squeezing the calf muscle should cause the foot to point downwards, but in patients with a torn Achilles tendon, the foot will not move (this will cause positive results on the Thompson test). She is waiting to do any further testing until Monday. I am able to walk around the house barefoot at this point, but I have to limp. No pain at all except a touch of something on the inside/front of my ankle when I briefly tried pushing off at an increased pace. He actually takes the time to sit down and explain what exactly is going on with my achilles tendon rupture, and his plan for the recovery. Expert Answers: Surgery is the most common treatment for Achilles tendon rupture. Good luck to you. If its a full tear it might be a different story. They couldnt do an MRI at the Emergency , but I passed the squizing test, and the torturer also checked the tendon. whilst developing an infection due to opened incision because of over worked, etc., etc., The next day I am able to walk on it without much pain. Thats the thing i didnt do a thompson test after removing my cast, so its hard to tell whether this is just how it is becaue of weak calf muscle or its because of the fall. Sorry you had to go through that but thanks for sharing. Tags: achilles tendon rupture , I missed hiking this fall and seeing all the beautiful fall colors. I was in a cast for 6 weeks then a boot for another 5 after surgery. Last Friday Feb 22 Dr took the splint off and put me in the boot (air cast,). Sorry to hear your bad news Ryan, are you going op or non-op? A partial rupture, often called a tear, can be a localized (micro) or a longitudinal rupture. I got already two opinions from docs: one said its fully ruptured and need operation asap, the other said it was partially ruptured so leave it in the boots for it to recover and do another MRI in 3 weeks. also someone else has said no walking on uneven ground. I think 2012 is a non walking year for Mr. Shea. Did you also go into a boot right after the cast? Thanks for help, if your thompsons test is good, then your tendon is probably still attached. I didnt like the boot because it made my foot hurt more and it was very hot. Diagnosis Once I got the hang of changing them, I find they feel no different than regular sock. But your best treatment options with and without a continuous AT are quite different, so the answer is way worth knowing. Something ripped Dr. checked it out, PT said I still had strength everyone determine achilles still in tact. If they suspect youve ruptured your Achilles tendon, they may also order an MRI or ultrasound to determine the severity of the injury. I sincerely hope that it is not a re-rupture. It was attached via 2 dissolvable screws. I am very confident that I will be walking w/o a limp in the next 2 weeks and will start running again 2 wks after that. On August 9th, little over a month of PT I was feeling pretty good, almost no limp when Im walking and can feel my leg getting stronger. If youre still ruptured, are they planning to go non op? Signs and Symptoms. - one week after surgery, was finally feeling good, but crutch slipped on a wet floor and I landed hard on my foot He still think it can heal conservatively, but at this point Im so nervous and opted for surgery. Careers. My surgeon told me when I got it, that I could put weight on it right away, with crutches. The seated leg press is one of those machines you see in just about every gymI start with my knees bent so they are within maybe 6 inches from my face, with feet up about face level, and I then push the big plate forward until knees fully extended. Common signs of an Achilles tendon rupture include a loud pop, intense pain at the onset of injury, and difficulty standing on your toes or walking up the stairs. Any thoughts? Having an ATR is a kick in the head as well as the leg, and rerupturing is a bigger kick. And, as I look at the clock, the insomnia! One thing that scares me is that in case I am aggressive in my return to two shoes (doc wants to be in boots for up to at least 6 weeks it seems since she thinks it is likely a re-rupture, although my first rupture was not healed and it might be a partial re-rupture or just status quo), can my tendon retreat all the way into the calf? My pain wasnt at the rupture site, but down low, right where the AT connects to the heel bone (calcaneus?). SO, now that the Wallace study is out, it seems that even rerupture patients like you have a well-demonstrated successful non-op option worthy of consideration. The moral of the story here is that, I should have been more aware of the possibility of re-rupture at 4 months, I should have at least take some time to read some of the cases here in the blog to at least be informed that can happen, and to my surprise that it has happened the same way as mine happen. The skin around the injury turned dark from the bleeding. The foot and calf now swells much quicker when I move around on crutches and there is tingling that wasnt really there before. My heart just dropped reading your post. Went to the emergency room. he said the MRI was read wrong and surgery or immobilization would be the worst possible thing I could do Musculoskelet Surg. Im so sorry youre having this torturous experience. where there was increased scar tissue it created an image of a void between that and my heal..please i encourage all to get second third and fourth opinions before you enter into this or any other surgery!! Sorry to hear Ryan, I know how discouraging it can be. Has anyone heard of waterproof casts? which i wanted when it first happened. 3timer, the only advice i have is take it REALLY easy. Most alarms are false ones, but all reruptures start out as alarms too. Dont know if it is in my mind but when I try I can feel it move my calf muscles a little. However, I am still wondering if maybe it partially torn? Wondering if I will ever walk again. I am still in a plaster splint that goes from the middle of calf to the ball of my foot. What a mistake, I snapped it again 4 months post op. This woman was one of the best high jumpers in the world until she fully ruptured her *jumping foot* left Achilles back in 2010 during training. My doctor removed all the suture material as hes afraid there is virus hidden there. For those potentially researching about a similar situation, the ripping felt like a weed pulling out of the ground, and while I did experience tenderness in the calf muscle, I neither heard a pop nor experienced the blunt strike sensation in the back of my leg that I had felt during the initial rupture. No guarantees just a tough decision. Its frustratingly almost impossible to find a doc in the states willing to treat you with early rom and weight bearing without the surgery. The poor old lady is done - she is handicap for life! My story- I ruptured my achilles completely on Dec 24, 2011 playing basketball. Should I get a compression sock that goes just below the knee, just above the knee, or all the way up to the groin? Leaving the office Thursday to go to PT while on crutches, my foot solidly in the boot engaged my achilles and I felt a pop followed by pain that almost had me passing out (the poor receptionist was terrified as I yelped in pain). I agree. Compression socks work at times but not always. Ted here. Just some leg lifts. Even though I get frustrated a lot it only goes to a certain point because what can you do? A MRI could be done, but it is expensive and probably unnecessary. Now that I am wearing two shoes I am also worried about a rerupture as this would set me back months again. I am hoping to get in to see my doc before my Thursday appt. Just a simple run towards the hoop after a missed 3 pointer to try and grab the rebound. . I am now 25 days post op. To me, it was worse than the surgery. Patients often describe a "popping" or "snapping" sound with severe pain, swelling and stiffness in the ankle region followed by bruising of the area. Some people also have problems with sutures internally. Minimally invasive reconstruction of chronic achilles tendon ruptures using the ipsilateral free semitendinosus tendon graft and interference screw fixation. I tried to get him to give me a few days to get my ducks in a row for surgery, but he said no, tomorrow is the day. Hit my goal last week as I started walking without any limp at 11 weeks post-op. July 2006 had a full rupture on right with surgery. Wasnt even weight bearing last time for at least 4 weeks. Getting right into a rountine when one thing is modified is the best recommendation I can give. Sorry for the typos.it should be perseverance, not perserverance(too many beers on Fathers day). I definitely feel like less of idiot for the slip, plus Im picking up some great tips along the way. I chose the non-op route following the posts here and the research from the UWO study. Common symptoms of an Achilles tendon rupture include: In some cases, you may only have a partial tear. I think the squeeze test is a good indicator of intact vs. ruptured Achilles..unless there is a lot of swelling. Occasionally, my wife still reminds me of that delight, 9 years later! If theyd dared to go non-op the second time, thered be a bit of evidence from that, but just a bit. Ill be posting my blog journey in hopes to help others. Don t rush it!re-ruptures are not nice. Less chance of rerupture as well. Anything I can do that may tell me one way or the other? I had my first beer tonight since the surgery. You should make an appointment to see the surgeon without delay given the description you have given. Causes of Calf Pain and Treatment Options, Foot Pain Causes, Treatment, and When to Seek Help, Cortisone shots are also associated with Achilles tears, The ruptured Achilles tendon: a current overview from biology of rupture to treatment, Tendon Injury and Fluoroquinolone Use: A Systematic Review, The Risk of Achilles Tendon Rupture in the Patients with Achilles Tendinopathy: Healthcare Database Analysis in the United States, Diagnosis and Treatment of Acute Achilles Tendon Rupture, Fluoroquinolones and risk of Achilles tendon disorders: case-control study. The lasting impact of the fall, including the incision opening and achilles stretching, is still up in the air. And begin healing again. Had an ultrasound on what I thought was a re-rupture. Im so down right now. I have read the full version but this is a good sumation. That hurt so bad as it was still stiff from the operation. I was without my crutch, slipped and stepped forward with my boot, the velcrow came off and my foot bent forward I felt a sharp pain were my Achilles was stitched together. Im about 6 and 250 lbs. And Ive heard and read of a number of other success stories from that semi-standard op & non-op cure. I agree with that. Gotta love these anti-spam words! 2. got rid of the crutches Today, August 17th I got a call from my original surgeon saying she just received the MRI results and I need to get surgery again. Original injury occured December 1st 2009 and was operated on December 9th. Not sure if my story helps you at all, but just know that the plaster splint they put you in is designed to protect your leg and injured area. Many of them get an operation similar to yours: Their ATs are surgically ruptured, and theyre closed back up and immobilized close to neutral position, leaving their bodies to build new tendon between the gaps. I think Im in denial over it..my scar is bleeding and I heard a pop. Moderate burning. I think I even had the same ED Tech make my splint. Because of the gap, she opened my leg all the way up to the calf muscle and lengthen the muscle to pull it down and reattached. I get surgery tomorrow and hopefully that will fix it right this time. Be creative in how you look for it, too. BE CAREFUL. Stuart, When our hands are busy with crutches, we are in the same boat as four-legged animals, and we find it frustrating, dont we? I live in Belgium (europe) by the way. Just want to wish you well, this is such a horribly discouraging injury as it is, to have these complications to deal withWhat can you say? Marina. to ever play sport again but as time went on, & playing basketball regularly for the last 7 years, my luck finally ran out & ruptured achilles on LEFT leg 3 weeks ago! I had two questions: (1) I had Achilles tendon surgery about a year ago and its getting better but I was curious as to what the likelihood is of tearing one again; and (2) I have some bursitis in a shoulder and I took anti-inflammatories and it got better, then worse. An Achilles tendon tear occurs when the tendon attaching the calf muscle to the heel is completely torn. What does re-rupture feel like? Alex, you should put this, and your future news, in a blog of your own. I found it just a day or two before it appeared, and posted the note here and (ref #7) on Wikipedia. As someone just 10 weeks into their 1st (and, hopefully, only) ATR recovery, I go back and forth about whether I should go back to the activity that brought me heretennis. They do tend to hate that. I dont even remember how did I step on my injured foot. We tend to get comfortable in situations and forget that one small accident, and youre screwed. It may be mild and get better or worse over time. Tore my right Achilles playing basketball March 9th, surgery on march 12th. I was very nervous about doing something to my foot, and it turns our for a good reason. What your doctor is saying doesnt make much sense to me, either. I doubt you will rerupture by wiggling toes and pressing on cast, I used to do it all the time and destroyed my 2nd cast by standing on it and loosened the bit by my toes significantly by moving my foot. 3 ACHILLES TENDON RUPTURE Description of Injury The Achille's tendon is the largest and strongest tendon in the human body. I would ask for another ultra sound to confirm the extent of the damage if any. So alas, I dont trust much other than the Thompson test. "The best treatment for a ruptured Achilles tendon in an active individual is typically surgery. Praying things will turn around for you soon. Hope it goes well and its not the worst case scenario. Go to the Main Page (achillesblog.com), click on ATR Rehab Protocols, Publications, Studies in the left column, and look for UWO. The base thing you can do is learn from it and move on. It is common among people who rupture their Achilles tendon to worry about re-rupturing their repaired tendon, as well as their other, healthy tendon. Good luck to you! I found the only reason doctors and physio recommended early weight bearing and more aggressive physio is to get you back to your feet sooner, if you feel this is not really necessary or are afraid of a re-rupture, then take your time to heal. Also I am worried about how my leg will recover in the long-term and how soon I will be able to walk without a limp and get back to some kind of meaningful exercise but I suppose there is no way of knowing too much about this until I am a bit further along in my recovery. The doctor re-wrapped my ankle in a soft cast and sent me on my way. Deeleft, I agree completely with your I feel exactly as though I have had surgery but only to set up good conditions for non-op healing. The puzzles are still multiple, though: (1) Theres precious little evidence on non-op treatment of single reruptures treated promptly, and none on 3rd-time-rounders. Things have been feeling better each day. Brian: I did go right from the boot into the cast but didnt have a problem with the straps leaving indentation marks. Anyway, just thought those of you in the frustrating earlier stages of this nasty injury would like hear that even a 44 year old fully recovers within 6 months after a rupture, re-rupture, and two surgeries! The good news is that almost all of us come out of this challenge stronger psychologically more patient, more grateful for almost everything, more empathetic to people with problems, etc., etc. In plaster (vs. cast) was my first cue. My second tear was lower down, very close to the heal. Most of us did NOT re-rupture, though some did. BTW really liked your summary of the surgery vs. no surgery options. Can anyone else feel something similar at their rupture sight, I know the scar tissue fills in the gap. Following rerupture, what was your strength like? I forgot whether the Army (maybe only the Marines?) 1st time at oct 2011 n had surgery. I just completed the surgery for my second tear. Without it, you may be at higher risk of reinjury, and your injury may not properly heal. The only study Ive ever seen testing that logical theory admittedly a small study, of 25 non-op UWO-study patients who had pre-treatment Ultrasound exams found NO correlation between gap size and the clinical success of the non-op cure. if i were you id probably be overly conservative and stay immobilized for longer than the first time (or 2). By Jonathan Cluett, MD Maffulli N, Oliva F, Maffulli GD, Buono AD, Gougoulias N. Foot Ankle Surg. Those seem very rare well, theyre BOTH pretty rare. I followed Drs orders to the letter and it still gave way. Earlier in the week was cleared to put down crutches and walk with boot for 2 weeks Tips, tricks, trials and tribulations: http://wp.me/p4vf9v-dB. Knee arthroscopy uses minimally invasive techniques to repair knee injuries without more invasive open surgery. I a not sure where to post, so here it is! Im Tim and Im 15 days post op from AT re rupture, yesterday was my b day. I can only speak for myself but after my re-rupture, I could still press down with my foot. Thanks, starshep, that sounds like a good idea. Thanks, ryanb and Nigel for your info regarding trying a single legged heel raise. To keep blood flowing and warmth to the area during the day. The surgeon preferred not to any augmentation or use stitches due to the condition of the tendon once he got in to have a look at it. It is so good to hear that you are back on your feet after 6 months, Brian. Do re ruptures usually happen in a different part of the tendon to the original rupture. But there was a 3 cm horizontal tear and they decided to send me back to the OR for debridement and resuture. I am living downstairs for now, and will continue to do so after she leaves. marianne - I am very sorry to hear that youve re-ruptured your achilles. There is someone else on this site that re-ruptured going up on their toes at PT, cant remember who right now, but if you search around, you might find them. Philip I originally. Feel free to bring this up with your surgeon or go to our website and check us out. That re-rupture risk will start to slide about the time you head off on your holiday. I know how much they helped my elderly father after he broke his hip. Cant take the splint off to check. After 10-12 weeks or so, they were cut free and got into shoes. This should pass, though its already been a while. Its been 24 days since I fully ruptured my left achilles playing squash. Can you compare what sequence you followed, to that protocol? It will be a little strange having my wife back to help me. Did you wear your boots all the time after the rerupture? I was walking downstairs carrying a load of about 15 pounds and when I got to the bottom it felt like things were not quite right. Fortunately, you can fully recover from an Achilles tendon rupture if you identify the symptoms and get appropriate treatment. He has even go so far as to draw sketches of the healing process, and what he did during the surgery. He told me, based on the ultrasound, that the rupture happened so close to the calf that surgery wasnt an option (nothing to sew the tendon too). Definitely not as bad as the first time, by a long shot. Again, no pain, or bruising, but it seems liek those pops are scar tissue breakup? Saw Dr. she said she didnt think it was a rerupture but couldnt tell for sure until some of swelling has gone down. This time around, even though I have another partial tear again in other leg now, this tear was not as tough and I again have recovered on my own in 3 weeks. No Doc here, but I think you should go for another op, sorry. Later today, I did some jumping and single leg heel raises on my bad foot *in the swimming pool* and it felt great! Apparently early on in the recovery, a re-rupture can be a gentle pulling apart of the tendon as opposed to the explosive pop we experience when we initially rupture. There are different treatments for an Achilles Tendon tear or rupture. I will try to apply ice over the ACE wrep. Even the sidewalk can have surprises, so I just want to be sure. The non-op approach may or may not work reliably, though, while surgery has a fairly high rate of solid results. I cannot afford to take the risk of a re-rupture. Otherwise, it seems like we have a lot of similarities in our protocols. Exactly what Ryanb said, soon as the incision is 110% closed. I was skeptical, but the tendon is very strong now.the thing that needs the most work is my calf muscles which literally withered away to nothing. Would you like email updates of new search results? To be fair, physio was going well and I was gaining strength and range of motion each day. When I did get in to see her, the great news was it was only a partial rupture. really need help with some questions. The surgery consists of making a small incision in the back part of the leg, and using sutures to re-attach the two ends of the ruptured tendon. This time, know up front what your expected protocol is going to be. I wanna know, do I need longer recovery time then the first surgery. Its much better to find a partial tear and go back to more conservative rehab, then to have a complete re-rupture and further surgery.. Im resigned to the fact that its a rerupture, I just want them to make some decisions so I can go home! The full text of the study is on this very site, linked from the Studies page. So far (11weeks) I am okay but reading your post makes me wary again. Once I can begin squats I will be over the moon. Protect your injury to the best of your ability, and keep you patience. I didnt ask how many degrees dorsiflexion, but both feet definitely look like at least 15 degrees. At this point I just want to get comfortable not using my boot. Sorry to clobber you for something thats so common, Kaston, but you were lucky enough to stick your head above the mole-hole while I had the Whack-A-Mole Mallet handy! Any advice from anyone about getting back on my feet safely after such a long period of injury/recovery would be great. Anyway, at this point, I am making my own treatment choices depending on what my body and perhaps imperfect research is telling me. Surgical management of chronic Achilles tendon ruptures using less invasive techniques. I went to see PT 5 days ago all she suggested was to do more streching as my tendon is still stiff, nothing more, but I do have an appointment w/ a specialist tomorrow and i ll see what he has to say, as for the attachment u mentioned, I do feel pain when i touch the attachment but i dont have any pain on the cut itself, hopefully it will leave me soon, will keep you guys posted, take care! After the shower, I CAREFULLY crutched out of the shower barefoot (first making sure there were no wet spots on the floor to make my crutch slip BOY can that do harm!!) But in a study, it has been identified that people who have suffered from Achilles tendon rupture have experienced the following: Very sharp pain around the ankles. You can still have a good result doing it this way but it will take longer. Im still somewhat new to all the acronyms. Will let you know how it goes! Just one opinion from a non-doctor stranger, but there it is. Anyways, Thanks for letting me get that out. Unfortunately despite doing everything within proper limits a successful recovery is not guarantee. Well say maybe it was less of a kicked feeling and more of a pull/something dropped on it. I too am optimistic and push everything as far as I can go. A few strands may remain intact report said. thanks again. Tendons are much stronger than muscles and since you where only walking your tendon would not have been over stressed. You will not be able to move your foot upwards and your movements will feel uncontrolled. i had non-op option with a full rupture. I also pointed a fan at my injured foot when I sleep, and it helps. Stumbled back on the left foot (that would be the one with the brand new repaired AT). Went to the doctor today, and he told me to start PT. Alex, Its now been just over a week since the surgery. Id hit your Doc with the UWO study Willets et al 2010 and its fast protocol. The one questionable step - in my eyes - is the abrupt transition from NWB to FWB (no PWB) even with big heel lifts in a boot, I would have recommended a gradual transition to weight bearing, using crutches to assist with walking for a while. Hi ring. Steroid . Thanks, starshep. I have scheduled surgery for this Friday (week from today) I am currently in plantar flexion in a fibergalss cast. Its been great to hear everybodys stories. Although aging may play a part in this process, repetitive minor trauma . 8600 Rockville Pike First time round, I did it playing five-a-side soccer. I will only find out if I had a re-rupture next week, assuming I get an expensive MRI or Thompson test shows absolutely no movement . The chances are very small but I have managed to rupture both in 2 years. having just read this whole blog on re ruptures it seems that early on in recovery, I am 3 weeks post op for re rupture you may not hear or feel the pop as the tendon sutures could just come apart. I would alternate between being in the boot and out of the boot. Just read you blog, damn how you even lift your leg to high to flush! Stuart, did you mean PLANTARflex not dorsi? Ive heard some bad stories so Ill just consider myself lucky even though my hand is still numb. Im one week out from AT surgery following a rupture that happened while fencing. November 26th, 2 days after a great Thanksgiving. All of the following (or combination of) may provide you with a definitive answer - Thompson Test. Pretty cool post. FWIW = For What Its Worth, YMMV = Your Mileage May Vary, and UWO = Univ. Yesterday I thought knife for sure and today I started out thinking cast only but now leaning toward getting cut if my tendon can be reinforced with something to make it stronger. from your vigorous opposition to this advice, i can only assume that you think he needs to get back into shoes faster than the last 2 times that he re-ruptured. Epub 2021 Sep 28. My fear of re-rupture is even greater than before. I found your site last week as I was searching for answers about starting PT in one week. If it does not, this is a sign the Achilles tendon has ruptured. However, after a recent four-day holiday with friends which saw me on my feet/walking quite a lot, I heard and felt a popping sensation. Naturally, I put my bad foot down but it wasnt enough to damage the tendon again. It sounds like youre well on your way back to recovery - good for you! Supposedly the swelling is going up after injury for about 4 days. He told me to ice only if it ached and then some heat. There IS a role for a boot in gradually moving the ankle toward neutral, gradually un-contracting (re-extending) the calf muscle(s). Postive thoughts, positive thoughts. So I dont think the evidence supports your 3rd surgeons view, though I havent tried to calculate the raw strength differences from either of those two studies. (Mike went non-op.) The local hospital surgeon said i could only have . What a living HELL.FML and all that bad stuffHere we go all over again. This is to prevent swelling only he said. Also, I did not feel any pain when I fell / stood on my big toe. Rerupture here, did conservative treatment the first time. Treatment options for an Achilles tendon rupture include surgical and non-surgical approaches. Increased my PR from last sessions 12 to this time getting 32 consecutive catches. Hi. My Ortho surgeon gave me both alternatives, surgical and self healing. Your message reminds us how vulnerable we are even at these later stages of the healing process. And now is the 4th week. I am now in my 5.5 weeks and trow my appt with doc. The first few days were pretty tough. Frontpenguin, how did this 2nd ATR happen? Surgery? 2013;36(9):709-21. doi:10.1007/s40264-013-0089-8, Pedowitz D, Kirwan G. Achilles tendon ruptures. . I was now looking at months of sitting around until I was fit to do any work. I work at a bookstore at an airport, and I am a supervisor there as well. Brian. July 16, cast off, the scar is 11 inches long, it looks disgusting but this time around i felt pain on the achillies, i remember when i had surgery the first time there was no pain at all, just stiffness, but this time I do feel a sharp pain once in a while, does anyone in here have simliar surgery? I think Ive been pushing just a bit hard, and it was probably weak. I will be by myself. 32 yr. The subject of this section of the Show is the chance of re-injury afterachilles tendon surgery. whoah this blog is wonderful i love reading your articles. Thank you so much for replying!!! The achilles connects to the muscles around where you have described. But Im certainly no expert on DVT, not even an AMATEUR expert! had surgery 2/15 all was going excellent, started PT and aqua therapy a couple of weeks ago. As I said the pain wasnt as bad (though alcohol may have dulled it) but i heard a worryying pop. I teach and played in an alumni vs faculty basketball game. Id GUESS that the sensations differ hugely from patient to patient, like the level of pain and the specific feelings from the initial ATR. This has been really interesting to read all the re-ruptures. I am no expert on this maybe swelling. I think the Commentary makes a few reasonable points and a WHOLE BUNCH of silly and unworthy ones. Diagnosis can be made clinically with weakness of plantarflexion with a positive Thompson's test. Before surgery the doc basically said he would look at the condition of the tendon and then decide what to do so I didnt have the chance to be involved in the decision and wasnt given any options to choose from. Not even loosing your job or the end of a relationship. Thats all water under the bridge though. Still have movement in the foot, ankle, toes, ect. I didnt do this often, mainly around home (small 1br apartment). Being a very active person, I am constantly wiggling my toes around and even pushing downward a bitthe key is dont induce any pain at all on the Achilles! Heat stroke is a serious medical emergency. On March 20th, I made my own very bad mistake and tried hopping up the stairs with my good foot while talking to someoneI tripped and landed on the tip of my right foot and felt the excruciating pain as before (this time it felt/sounded more like Velco snapping apart). Sounds like youre almost back in the game! I was fully weight bearing one week later. If I read this right, you still - even after the kitchen mishap - have an attached tendon, right? I think your problem is more common than you think or people let on. The average ATRS was 86 (range 79-92), and the average number of single-legged heel lifts was 33 (range 11-48). BTW, all the re-rupture posts really scare the S**T out of me. In January it began to ache, especially while teaching snowboarding. It is a little bit more than 3 weeks post-op. But the problem with that is that tendon is lengthened out because they dont get those ends together and you get a lot of weakness and your risk of re-rupture is higher. Do you know if he trimmed the ends of the tendon before he closed you up? Many of us (including me) kept revising that forecast, on a frustrating plateau. Do I listen to the other doctor and continue my therapy with surgery? Also, after researching on Google, it sounds like I may have perhaps torn one of the calf muscles, as there is often a snap and pop associated with that. Hours later it hadnt dropped much and eventually they got around to taking the cast off to check the wound which was fine. In my desire to push forward into my rehabilitation I thought I was ready, I asked are you sure? When I get back to my desk I check and everything look normal. Thanks Norm, that is encouraging and fits with what my surgeon said - that since my tendon must have been degenerative the best thing that could have happened in the long term is a rupture so that it can heal up stronger. The evidence is from Dr. Wallace in Belfast (2012? (Go to my review of the studies and youll get links, at least to abstracts.) But guess what - I WILL heal eventually. I am going back to the doctor next week, and see if he will let me have PWB. No augmentation need on left only on right. I would also like to say that I am no medic nor orthopaedic surgeon and the above advice is purely from what I have read on the internet. Am 8 weeks left atr and now in the boot for last 2. Hes been a bit depressed lately, seeing his sister enjoying the summer while he is stuck at home. the 2 worse scenarios you can have post op is 1)re rupture 2) infection well I gone through both in the past 4 mths, I got infected by a virus called Staphylococcus aureus, I m thankful its not MRSA or else I would be really screwed. I spent the better part of yesterday using Dr. Anyway I now see sense in the phrase time heals I was out of the cast after 10 days, and in a boot. 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