TENDON RUPTURE

What is an Achilles Tendon Rupture?

When your Achilles tendon snaps it is known as Achilles tendon rupture.

What Causes an Achilles Tendon Rupture?

The Achilles tendon can grow weak and thin with age and lack of use. Then it becomes prone to injury or rupture. Certain illnesses (such as arthritis and diabetes) and medications (such as corticosteroids and some antibiotics) can also increase the risk of rupture.

Achilles tendon rupture most commonly occurs in the middle-aged male athlete (the weekend warrior who is engaging in a pickup game of basketball, for example). Injury often occurs during recreational sports that require bursts of jumping, pivoting, and running. Most often these are tennis, racquetball, squash, basketball, and badminton. The injury can happen in these situations:

• You make a forceful push-off with your foot while your knee is straightened by the powerful thigh muscles. One example might be starting a foot race or jumping.
• You suddenly trip or stumble, and your foot is thrust in front to break a fall, forcefully over stretching the tendon.
• You fall from a significant height.