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Torn achilles

 
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slump

Since 16 Sep 2007
26 Posts

 



PostFri Apr 24, 15 11:29 am    Torn achilles Reply with quote

Wanted to see if anyone else has any experience with a torn Achilles tendon. Was gone to Maui on vacation and my wife tore her tendon while we were playing pickleball. Not good! Cut our vacation a little short and the Doctor here is saying surgery and 8 wks in a cast. My wife is very active and is dreading being laid up, does anyone have any helpful insight they might be able to share?
Thank you!

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jerp

Since 22 Feb 2013
450 Posts

Obsessed



PostFri Apr 24, 15 11:42 am     Reply with quote

its torn completely or just strained?

I had had an Achilles issue (tendonitis? I guess its called something else now) for about 6 months and tried everything. In the end I went to "The Kor" which specialize in getting people back on the field. They fixed it in a month or so but the fix is unique to the person.

my issue was mobility to the front of the foot. they watch you run and take measurements to understand what led to the issue etc.

feel free to PM me for more info.

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ldhr

Since 21 Jul 2009
1470 Posts
Hood River
XTreme Poster



PostFri Apr 24, 15 11:46 am     Reply with quote

A torn achilles would not be treated the same as tendonitis.
There's 4 levels of severity from slight tearing to completely severed and requires grafting.
You don't specify how severe the tear is - so it's hard to comment about your wife's treatment and recovery time....
Depending on the severity of the tear - the prognosis you stated seems typical.

type I: partial ruptures <= 50% typically treated with conservative management
type II: complete rupture with tendinous gap <= 3 cm typically treated with end-end anastomosis
type III: complete rupture with tendinous gap 3 to 6 cm often requires tendon/synthetic graft
type IV: complete rupture with defect of > 6 cm (neglected ruptures) often requires tendon/synthetic graft and gastrocnemius recession

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Bargeslayer

Since 08 Jul 2012
100 Posts

Stoked



PostFri Apr 24, 15 12:23 pm     Reply with quote

There is actually new, very strong evidence that even complete tears can be treated non-operatively with equivalent outcomes in terms of re-rupture rates and functional strength.

Here's the link

http://jbjs.org/content/92/17/2767.long

If she were to not have surgery, she would still be laid up but would avoid all the potential issues with surgery (infection, bleeding etc).

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skideeppow

Since 26 Aug 2011
518 Posts

Addicted



PostFri Apr 24, 15 12:53 pm     Reply with quote

Try and see what route Aksel Lund Svindel went. He ruptured his Achilles and raced in World Championships in Beaver Creek. Pretty speedy recovery.

Pretty nasty injury, can put you down for a long time and results in some swelling that is hard to control.

Pretty sure with Aksel, it was all about the rehab. Game Ready for inflammation.

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jaksavage

Since 02 Dec 2009
216 Posts
hood river
Stoked



PostSat Apr 25, 15 7:41 am    my take Reply with quote

I popped my achilles pushing a car off a trailer. Felt like I got hit with a baseball bat or broke my leg. I looked down and expected to see it hyper extended. Hurt like hell.
My foot turned black after a few days.
It was painfull walking and months later if I pushed off with my toes on that foot it hurt a lot. I walked like the penguin for a long time.
I never went to the doc...no insurance, and it eventually quit hurting but took months.
Now it is obvious that my range of motion with the damaged tendon is greater. I can stretch that toe toward my knee much further than the undamaged side.

Hope hers is getting better.

_________________
My wife kites more than me.

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airon^

Since 07 Aug 2013
289 Posts
Durango
Obsessed



PostSat Apr 25, 15 9:30 am    listen to this guy, he's Ortho and smart... Reply with quote

[quote="Westside barge slayer"]There is actually new, very strong evidence that even complete tears can be treated non-operatively with equivalent outcomes in terms of re-rupture rates and functional strength.
_________________
surf the san juans

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slump

Since 16 Sep 2007
26 Posts

 



PostMon Apr 27, 15 8:22 am     Reply with quote

Thank you for all the responses and information, it was all helpful!

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Sasquatch

Since 09 Mar 2005
2053 Posts
PNW
Bigfoot



PostMon Apr 27, 15 10:32 am    Re: Torn achilles Reply with quote

slump wrote:
my wife tore her tendon while we were playing pickleball. Not good! Cut our vacation a little short and the Doctor here is saying surgery and 8 wks in a cast. My wife is very active and is dreading being laid up. . .


Wow and bummer! Second torn Achilles tendon story I've heard in the last 3 weeks where pickleball was the activity responsible for the injury. Granted the lady that I know who hurt her tendon was an out of shape tennis player who was in her 50's and overweight.

Who would of thought such a condensed form of the game of tennis would be so damaging to the body?

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kieran

Since 06 Jul 2011
45 Posts

 



PostMon Apr 27, 15 12:00 pm     Reply with quote

I ruptured my achilles playing ultimate 2+ years ago. Had a surgical repair:

2 weeks in a full cast
6 weeks in a walking boot
6 months of intense rehab to get back to anything active
6 more months of focused strength and mobility training to fully recover.

It sucks.

My gap was ~2cm, which meant I could have gone non-surgical, but the consensus was that I'd only get to 95% strength through a non-surgical approach, which just wasn't good enough for me.

Free healthcare tho.

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jerp

Since 22 Feb 2013
450 Posts

Obsessed



PostMon Apr 27, 15 1:00 pm     Reply with quote

Once she does get it fixed and I’m sure she will, my best advice is to come up a decent stretching/rolling routine to do before and after any activity. I flared up my Achilles two weeks ago rushing to go out kiting at the ES. I normally have a whole stretching routine I do before any activity but opted to not do it that day as I was in a rush….typical… The same stretching/rolling routine cleared up the strain quickly. Was able to hike Syncline yesterday without aggravating it or any pain.

PM me if you would like the routine

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drtaamc

Since 24 Jul 2008
118 Posts

Stoked



PostTue Apr 28, 15 10:06 am     Reply with quote

Tore my achilles tendon playing basketball 14 years ago the last day of February. Complete tear, don't know what the gap was, but I'm certain they did an end to end anastomosis. I'm a veterinarian and I've actually done the same surgery in dogs. Surgery within a week. Cast for about 2 weeks...until I took it off due to discomfort. Walking boot for a month or two. Started rehab as soon as possible and was windsurfing on a Maui vacation the last half of June. I was 3 months shy of my 40th birthday when it happened. The tendon has not given my trouble since and feels more solid than the other...albeit it's about twice the size. Still skiing, kiting, mtn biking, hiking etc... with no issues. Good luck.

Stay away from those court sports!

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