The Achilles tendon is one of the largest tendons that anchor muscle to bone and certainly one of the most vulnerable. The Achilles tendon attaches proximally (closest to the head) to the end of the calf muscles and distally (furthest from the head) to the calcaneous or tip of the heel bone. Movement of the foot from pointing to flexion requires the use of the calf muscles and therefore the use of the Achilles tendon.

The tendon was named after a mighty Greek warrior and one of the hero’s in Homer’s Iliad. In an attempt to make her boy immortal she held him by his heel and dipped him in the river Styx. Everything the water touched was invulnerable but what remained dry was not.

Identification and Diagnosis

The Achilles tendon bears the brunt of the force of pushing off against the ground in running and jumping, or pushing against the pedals in biking. But you do rely on this tendon every time you move your foot. The tendon is most often ruptured or torn during an explosive action requiring eccentric force – such as when jumping or starting to sprint.

First there is a pop or a snap and then comes a sharp pain in the lower leg and heel that makes it impossible to walk. In fact it is impossible to walk if the rupture is complete because the calf muscle is no longer attached to the heel and can’t move the foot.

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