Achilles tendon rupture is a common injury, especially if you regularly take part in sporting activity such as tennis or squash. The achilles tendon is a thick tendon at the back of your heel which is connected to the strong muscles of your calf. If you achilles ruptures you will lose the majority of your normal power to push your toes down against resistance. 

Sometimes the rupture occurs without any warning, but commonly the tendon has some wear and tear called tendinopathy (often mis-labelled as achilles tendinitis) which increases your risk of rupture. Tendinopathy causes achilles tendon pain which can occur in the weeks and months before a rupture.

Achilles rupture can often be treated without surgery if it is picked up soon after injury. If you think you have ruptured your achilles you should visit your local A&E department for assessment, blood thinning medication and immobilisation (either a boot with wedges inside or even a plaster cast). After this you should book an assessment to come for a discussion about how best to treat your injury.

Usually after achilles rupture you will have an ultrasound assessment of the tendon which helps decide whether the injury needs to be treated with or without surgery.

The recovery from achilles rupture is lengthy and your recovery will be guided using one of our rehabilitation protocols. The type of rehabilitation protocol you need will depend on whether you have had surgery as well as the type of boot you are using, i.e. treatment without surgery using VACOped boot.