An achilles tendon tear is one of the most detrimental tendon tears. These tears often occur in athletes who participate in running sports. Tears generally are the result of high tension in the gastrocnemius muscles that at some critical point cannot withstand the demands of the strech reflex and result in snapping of the tendon.
I thought this was a cool picture because it relates bone and muscle health to injury. The calcaneous (heel bone) provides a strong attachment site for the achilles tendon which anchors the gastrocnemius (calf) muscle. When the muscle becomes too tight this creates high tension on the tendon and bone. Our bones are much more able to withstand stress and strain forces so the result is damage to the achilles. Keeping our muscles healthy and agile through proper nutrition and recovery methods after exercise will prevent tendon ruptures. Sometimes when BMD is low the tissue is more fragile and prone to stress fractures and degredation. In this case a tight calf muscle and strong achilles may create enough tension that small bone fragments of the heel are broken off the attachement site of the tendon, rather than the actual tendon experiencing tear.
wow very good visual of what is happening, I myself have never torn that particular muscle but I've torn other muscles when I used to do cross country. what should we do to prevent tears in muscle?
ReplyDeleteMuscle tears defintely hurt, I have torn some my self! That's a good question about how to prevent tears. From my own knowledge and experiences the biggest thing is to exercise safely and not over work your muscles. After exercise recovery I think plays the biggest role in prevention. Giving yourself adequate resting time until the next work out as well as stretching and perhaps using heat or ice will all help to prevent tears.
ReplyDeleteGreat post! The achilles becomes less agile as one ages. I know more over 40 people who have torn their achilles than I did when I was playing high school or college sports many moons ago. Have you seen any research data on tears by age groups?
ReplyDeleteconcerning the question about how to prevent tears, isn't the easiest thing to do is stretch? I know that both limited flexibility and Range of motion can sometimes be the reason for muscle/tendon tearing. Did you find any research addressing a correlation between flexibility and Range of motion with individuals who have torn something?
ReplyDeleteIn response to Marla, I have come across research stating that achilles tears tend to be common among older adults and athletes in running sports.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ashley, YES! Stretching is definitely one of the most preventative measures. These tears are most often due to extreme tension that at some point the tendon can no longer withstand.