Xanthomatosis is a disease in which large tendon tumors can occur, especially in the Achilles tendon. We report a case of a seventy-five year old patient with giant bilateral Achilles tendon xanthomas in which both tumors were resected. Approximately fifty percent of both Achilles tendons could be spared, so no reconstruction using autograft tendon was necessary. Postoperative treatment consist...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the in vivo material and mechanical properties of the human Achilles tendon in the presence of tendinopathy. Real-time ultrasound imaging and dynamometry were used to assess Achilles tendon stiffness, Young's modulus, stress, strain, and cross-sectional area (CSA) in 12 individuals with Achilles tendinopathy and 12 age- and gender-matched controls. T...

BACKGROUND Achilles tendon ruptures are one of the most commonly treated injuries by orthopaedic surgeons and general practitioners. Achilles tendon ruptures have classically been thought to affect the middle-aged "weekend warrior" participating in basketball, volleyball, soccer, or any other ground sport that requires speed and agility; however, with a more active elderly population, these tea...

BACKGROUND There has been considerable debate about the best treatment for acute rupture of the Achilles tendon. At our institution, a well-documented and structured program of nonoperative management of Achilles tendon rupture with use of casts and a removable orthosis was developed. METHODS We assessed the results in 140 consecutive patients with a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon wh...

Freehand three-dimensional ultrasound (3DUS) was used to investigate longitudinal and biaxial transverse deformation and rotation of the free Achilles tendon in vivo during a voluntary submaximal isometric muscle contraction. Participants (n = 8) were scanned at rest and during a 70% maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) of the plantarflexors. Ultrasound images were manually digitized ...

BACKGROUND Achilles tendinopathy is understood to be a failed healing response. Operative management is utilised following the failure of non-operative methods. CASE PRESENTATION We present a case of Achilles tendon rupture, sustained whilst isometrically loading the Achilles tendon during an eccentric loading exercise programme. CONCLUSION Bilateral surgical exploration and debridement had...

Compliant tendons act as energy stores, which benefit the energetics and power output of a muscle-tendon unit. However the compliance of tendon and the material properties may vary between individuals and hence alter the energy storing capacity of the tendon. We aimed to determine the in vivo Achilles tendon (AT) stress and strain during one-legged hopping and hence the contribution of elastic ...

In this study we examined how hill running affects the Achilles tendon, a common location for injuries in runners. Twenty females ran for 10 min on each of three randomly ordered grades (-6%, 0 and +6%) at speeds selected to match the metabolic rates. Achilles tendon (AT) cross-sectional area (CSA) was imaged using Doppler ultrasound and peak vertical forces were analyzed using an instrumented ...

BACKGROUND Chronic Achilles tendinosis is a common problem. When evaluating and comparing different therapies there is a need for reliable imaging methods. Our aim was to evaluate if chronic Achilles tendinosis affects the dynamic contrast-enhancement in the tendon and its surroundings and if short-term eccentric calf-muscle training normalizes the dynamic contrast-enhancement. METHODS 20 pat...

Spasticity, contracture, and muscle weakness are commonly observed poststroke in muscles crossing the ankle. However, it is not clear how biomechanical properties of the Achilles tendon change poststroke, which may affect functions of the impaired muscles directly. Biomechanical properties of the Achilles tendon, including the length and cross-sectional area, in the impaired and unimpaired side...