[Medical Q&A] How can the Achilles tendon, which is so thick, rupture?

Planner: Chinese Medical Association

Reviewer: Han Liqiang, deputy chief physician, Tianjin Third Central Hospital

Many people may experience this phenomenon during intense exercise: suddenly they feel as if someone has kicked them hard in the back of their calf, and they quickly turn around to look for who kicked them, but find no one. Then they feel extremely severe pain in the back of their calf, and are unable to continue exercising. After going to the hospital for examination, they find that their Achilles tendon is ruptured.

The Achilles tendon is what people often call the "big tendon". It is the thickest and largest tendon in the human body. Even the strongest tendon can break. Clinically, there are two main reasons for Achilles tendon rupture: one is open injury, which is caused by a sharp weapon cutting the Achilles tendon, such as being scratched by the sharp edge of an object caught up from behind while walking; the second is closed injury, which is more common during strenuous exercise and is related to chronic tendon strain caused by inadequate pre-exercise warm-up or long-term excessive strenuous activity. For Achilles tendon rupture caused by open injury, the tendon ends are relatively smooth and the surgical suture is relatively simple; while for Achilles tendon rupture caused by closed injury, although there is no wound and the injury looks relatively mild, the cause of this Achilles tendon rupture is tearing, the ends are ponytail-shaped, the degree of injury is often much more serious than that caused by open injury, the surgical suture is also relatively complicated, and the technical requirements for the surgeon are relatively high. There is no need to be overly nervous after Achilles tendon rupture. No matter what kind of Achilles tendon rupture occurs, as long as regular surgical treatment and postoperative functional exercise are performed, it can basically return to normal.