Achilles tendon rupture is the rupture following inflammation of the Achilles tendon.Damages to the Achilles tendon are frequent among people of all ages.Achilles tendon pathologies are rupture and tendonitis.Other tendon disorders are:1. Paratenonitis: Featured by paratendon inflammation and thickening, and fibrin adhesions2. Tendinosis: Featured by intra-substance disarray and degeneration of the tendonThe rupture to the tendon is normally caused by a sudden and immediate plantar-flexion of the ankle or if the foot moves in a direction outside its regular motion.Other reasons or causes of rupture or Achilles tendon tear are:1. Excess stress on the tendon brought on in one act or by years of usage,2. Putting too much effort in a single action after a long rest of the tendon and severe sports.3. Some antibiotics also weaken the tendons in the body, particularly the Achilles tendon.4. Patients have injected steroids directly into the Achilles tendonThe rupture is often linked withSymptoms:1. Sudden difficulty of movement of the Achilles tendon2. Swelling of the Achilles tendon involved at the lower leg and heel3. Local tenderness and gap in the involved Achilles tendon4. Inability to move the involved footUltrasonography can recognize a ruptured Achilles tendonOther tests are:Simmond's TestNeedle testCalf Squeeze testKnee Flexion TestHeel Raise testSphygmomanometer TestTreatment:Medical treatment for a patient with an Achilles tendon rupture is rest, control of pain, serial casting, and physiotherapyrehabilitation to maximize functionAchilles tendon Surgery Types1. Open Achilles tendon SurgeryThe surgeon makes only one incision which is normally about 5 cm long and makes sure that all the torn fibers in the tendon are sutured back together and then left to recover.Percutaneous Achilles tendon SurgeryIn this surgery, a number of small incisions are performed by the surgeon.These incisions make for quicker healing and also permit the surgeon to see the complete length of the tendon and suture it back together.The Achilles tendon surgery also is dependent on the type of tear or Achilles tendon rupture of the patient.The two types of Achilles Tendon Ruptures are:1. Chronic TearA tear is regarded chronic if the muscle is shortened.It has been weeks or months since the rupture and the patient has still not had it surgically repaired.In this patient, the most important factors are the distance of separation present and the amount of the gap present between the tendons.Acute TearAn Achilles tendon tear is acute if the patient informs a doctor within a couple of weeks of the injury that ruptured his Achilles tendon.In most acute tear cases, the separation is pretty negligible and the ends of the tendon can be sutured back together.With the enlargement in the gap, more extreme measures are to be taken.This can range any thing between using a simple strip of the present injured tendon to using a dissimilar tendon for tendon transfer or discussing with a tissue bank about an Achilles tendon graft.Tendon TransfersTendon transfers are not done widely, as it is performed only when the gap present is very wide.The tendon used during the transfer is normally the next strongest tendon present in the leg.This is the flexor hallucis longus, the muscle available next to the big toe.An Achilles tendon surgery provides the best results only if the procedure is done at the earliest.TABLE OF CONTENTIntroductionChapter 1 Achilles Tendon RuptureChapter 2 CausesChapter 3 SymptomsChapter 4 DiagnosisChapter 5 TreatmentChapter 6 PrognosisChapter 7 Achilles TendonitisChapter 8 Plantar FasciitisEpilogue