Achilles tendon injuries

B42

09.03.2023 Reading time: 3 min

The whip crack of the Achilles tendon

If it feels like your opponent is kicking you from behind and at the same time it sounds like he's cracking a whip at you, then it's happened: You've torn your Achilles tendon.

What then follows is often a period of suffering lasting months, the exact duration of which cannot actually be determined at all.

Italian international Leonardo Spinazzola can tell you a thing or two about it.

In the summer of 2021, the Roma defensive star tore his Achilles tendon during the European Championship quarterfinal duel against Belgium in Munich. More than 10 months later, he made his comeback in May 2022.

What is our Achilles tendon?

In Greek mythology, the hero Achilles is only vulnerable at his heel, the Achilles heel named after him.

Although the Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in our body, it is not invulnerable.

Today, the term is much more commonly used as a metaphor for a vulnerable spot. In the context of soccer, the Achilles heel is probably more the knee or the back of the thigh.

Function and vulnerability

Nevertheless, the Achilles tendon, whose name comes from this legend, can also become a real problem for a player.

At around 25 cm long (and with an average cross-section of around 80 mm²), the Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in our body. It extends from the heel bone into the calf muscles, i.e. the clod muscle as well as the twin-headed muscle, and consists of collagen-fiber connective tissue.

The function of the tendon is mainly to transmit power from calf muscles to the heel and foot. Through its function (flexion of the foot as well as storage of kinematic energy), the Achilles tendon is involved in running and jumping. It is therefore of high importance for soccer players, as the tendon is subjected to great stress by these soccer-specific movement patterns.

A healthy Achilles tendon can withstand very high loads of about 10,000 N and has an extensibility of about 4%. Nevertheless, about 7-10% of all injuries affect this area.

The exact cause of a rupture of the Achilles tendon has not yet been clearly clarified; rather, there are various favoring intrinsic factors such as calf muscles with permanently too high tone, ankle joint instabilities and deviations in the foot or pelvic-leg axis such as a fallen splay foot.

The Achilles tendon irritation

External conditions, such as the wrong footwear or training-related overloads, can also lead to an injury.

Therefore, you should pay attention to sufficient joint mobilization, as well as good sensorimotor function.

Check your footwear and pay attention to your feet. Here, experts such as a shoe consultant or a podiatrist can be helpful.

You should also make mobilization and tone regulation of the calf muscles a daily routine. Exercises with the fascia roller or appropriate stretching exercises, but especially eccentric strength training, can help here.

Our B42 App includes numerous drills that can be used to take preventative measures against an impending Achilles tendon tear.

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