Podcast 809: Achilles Tendon Rupture

<p><strong>Contributor: Aaron Lessen, MD</strong></p> <p><strong>Educational Pearls:</strong></p> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Achilles tendon rupture usually presents in younger, healthy patients after a sports injury</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Patients typically present complaining of an abrupt onset ankle pain after feeling a “pop”</span></li> <li style="list-style: none; display: inline;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Pain can be localized to posterior ankle and patient’s lack the ability to plantarflex</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Achilles rupture is a clinical diagnosis and does not usually require imaging in the ED</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="2"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Thompson test</span></li> <li style="list-style: none; display: inline;"> <ul> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Having patient lay on their stomach and squeezing the calf on the injured side should result in plantarflexion</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="3"><span style= "font-weight: 400;"> </span><span style="font-weight: 400;">If the Achilles is ruptured, no plantarflexion will occur</span></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Treatment in the ED is to place the patient in a short leg posterior splint with some mild plantarflexion to aid in healing</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">After discharge patients should follow up with orthopedics</span></li> <li style="font-weight: 400;" aria-level="1"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">Recent study compared those who underwent the traditional open surgery, a minimally invasive surgery, and no surgery</span></li> <li style="list-style: none; displ