This site is intended for healthcare professionals

CPD
CPD
Pro
Pro
Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Go to /pro/cpd-dashboard page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. CPD dashboard

Go to /account/subscription-details page

This page is worth 0.05 CPD credits. Upgrade to Pro

Epidimiology of acute Achilles tendon rupture

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Annual incidence of acute rupture is around 2 in 10,000 (1).

  • the number of acute Achilles tendon rupture is on the rise due to the increasing percentage of the population participating in sporting activities at an older age and sedentary life style
  • athletic activities accounts for 68% of the acute tendon ruptures
  • more common in men
  • classical patient is usually a beginner attempting an unaccustomed sport
  • injuries due to non sporting activities is seen amongst older patients and patients with a body mass index greater than 30 (1,2,3)

Injury usually results when a strong dorsiflexion force on the ankle is applied at the same time as the gastrocnemius-soleus complex contracts to plantarflex the ankle: an eccentric contraction (2).

Activities related to tendon rupture include:

  • football
    • is responsible for majority of traumatic tendon ruptures in Canada and Europe
  • basketball
    • in the US, basketball was the most commonly involved sport, accounting for 48 % of all ruptures
  • tennis
  • squash
  • badminton
  • running
  • other sports that require abrupt jumping or bursts of sprinting
  • a fall or missing a step
  • deep laceration over the site of the tendon (1)

Reference:

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.