What injuries affect the Achilles tendon?
The Achilles tendon joins your calf muscle to your heel bone. The tendon, which runs down the back of your lower leg and tucks in at your heel, is a common site of overuse injuries. There are two main types of injuries affecting the Achilles tendon, including:
Tendonitis
Achilles tendonitis occurs when the tendon grows irritated, inflamed, and swollen. Non-insertional Achilles tendonitis occurs when fibers within the center of the tendon break down. With insertional Achilles tendonitis, the fibers erode where the tendon attaches to your heel.
Tendon rupture
An Achilles tendon rupture occurs when the tendon tears. Achilles tendon rupture is a more serious injury than Achilles tendonitis. You might hear a popping noise when the injury occurs.
If you don’t treat Achilles tendonitis, your risk of rupture increases significantly.
What symptoms do Achilles tendon injuries cause?
Achilles tendon injuries can cause symptoms including:
- Pain in the back of your lower leg or around your heel
- Difficulty bearing weight
- Difficulty walking
- Difficulty rising to your toes or pushing off when walking
- Tendon stiffness, especially right after you wake up
Achilles tendonitis symptoms may develop gradually, but an Achilles tendon rupture happens suddenly and typically causes severe issues immediately.
When might I need Achilles tendon repair?
Achilles tendonitis may heal with conservative treatments, such as activity rest, a walking boot, and anti-inflammatory medication.
However, severe Achilles tendonitis and Achilles tendon ruptures may require surgery. Fortunately, the doctors has extensive surgical experience, including special skills with minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair.
What are the advantages of minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair?
During minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair, the doctors creates tiny incisions and then uses special miniature surgical tools to stitch the torn tendon back together. He may use an arthroscope — a thin tube with a tiny camera and light — to perform this type of repair.
The minimally invasive approach causes less tissue damage and has a reduced infection risk. In addition, recovery from minimally invasive surgery is faster than with traditional (long-incision) procedures.
To learn more about minimally invasive Achilles tendon repair, call the Ankle & Foot Doctors of New Jersey office nearest to you or use the online scheduling tool to book a consultation.
