Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2017 Mar;10(1):72-80.
doi: 10.1007/s12178-017-9386-7.

Achilles tendon injuries

Anthony C Egger  1 , Mark J Berkowitz  2
Affiliations
Review

Achilles tendon injuries

Anthony C Egger et al. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2017 Mar.

Abstract

Purpose of review: The purpose of this study is to review the current literature of Achilles tendon injuries, specifically chronic tendinopathy and acute ruptures in regard to etiology, diagnosis, treatment options, and outcomes.

Recent findings: The incidence of Achilles tendon injuries is increasing, but the necessity for surgical intervention is decreasing due to improved conservative therapies, which may provide comparable outcomes without the implied surgical risk. If surgery is undertaken, no difference has been noted between open and minimally invasive techniques. The majority of patients are able to return to pre-injury level of activity, with the elite athlete as an unfortunate exception. Achilles injuries can be devastating injuries, but if addressed early and appropriately, most patients have good self-reported long-term outcomes regardless of the treatment modality implemented. Further research is needed into the etiology, potential preventative measures, and longer-term outcomes of the different treatment options for wide range of Achilles pathology.

Keywords: Acute Achilles rupture; Chronic Achilles tendinopathy.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest

Anthony C. Egger and Mark J. Berkowitz declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Human and animal rights and informed consent

This article does not contain any studies with animal subjects performed by any of the authors. With regard to the authors’ research cited in this paper, all procedures were followed in accordance with the ethical standards of the responsible committee on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2000 and 2008.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
X-ray of a 56-year-old male with chronic posterior heel pain, calcifications at insertion site indicative of chronic insertional tendinopathy
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Repair of insertional Achilles rupture utilizing FHL tendon augmentation
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Holmes GB, Lin J. Etiologic factors associated with symptomatic Achilles tendinopathy. Foot Ankle Int. 2006;27(11):952–959. doi: 10.1177/107110070602701115. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Sode J, Obel N, Hallas J, Lassen A. Use of fluroquinolone and risk of Achilles tendon rupture: a population-based cohort study. Eur J Clin Pharmacol. 2007;63(5):499–503. doi: 10.1007/s00228-007-0265-9. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Corrao G, Zambon A, Bertù L, et al. Evidence of tendinitis provoked by fluoroquinolone treatment. Drug Saf. 2006;29(10):889–896. doi: 10.2165/00002018-200629100-00006. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Van Der Linden PD, van Puijenbroek EP, Feenstra J, et al. Tendon disorders attributed to fluoroquinolones: a study on 42 spontaneous reports in the period 1988 to 1998. Arthritis Care & Research. 2001;45(3):235–239. doi: 10.1002/1529-0131(200106)45:3<235::AID-ART254>3.0.CO;2-7. - DOI - PubMed
    1. van der Linden PD, Sturkenboom MC, Herings RM, Leufkens HM, Rowlands S, BHC S. Increased risk of Achilles tendon rupture with quinolone antibacterial use, especially in elderly patients taking oral corticosteroids. Arch Intern Med. 2003;163(15):1801–1807. doi: 10.1001/archinte.163.15.1801. - DOI - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources