Ruptured Achillies Tendon

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Dave Richardson

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I fell about 7ft from a ladder last Thurs & landed awkwardly on my right ankle & was it ever painful. :wallbash::wallbash:
The ambulance crew managed to carry me from the back of home along a path & in & out of scaffolding pole (placed by the roofing company working at my home).
Up shot was after an X ray it seems as if I've ruptured my Achilles tendon & dislodged a small piece on bone, lower leg now in plaster cast & I have to return to the fracture clinic at Derriford Hospital Plymouth on Tues for a full assessment & decision on recovery.

At least I can't stand & wash or dry the dishes :bannana:

Anyone suffered this injury?

Dave
 
I fell about 7ft from a ladder last Thurs & landed awkwardly on my right ankle & was it ever painful. :wallbash::wallbash:
The ambulance crew managed to carry me from the back of home along a path & in & out of scaffolding pole (placed by the roofing company working at my home).
Up shot was after an X ray it seems as if I've ruptured my Achilles tendon & dislodged a small piece on bone, lower leg now in plaster cast & I have to return to the fracture clinic at Derriford Hospital Plymouth on Tues for a full assessment & decision on recovery.

At least I can't stand & wash or dry the dishes :bannana:

Anyone suffered this injury?

Dave

Sorry to hear this Dave. I can only imagine how painful it was.

Let's hope it'll heal soon in time for the nicer weather. :thumb:

I'm sure you could sit and do the ironing? :D

Ant.
 
Seems I got lucky the last time I fell that height from a ladder. As mine slipped it suddenly stopped against a counter on the opposite side of the room, and as I fell down one of the ladder rungs graciously stopped my fall- right between my legs :fail:
 
Anyone suffered this injury?

Dave

Not from falling, but ruptured both tendons playing squash (playing twice a day at one stage when business was stessful). When they go it sounds like a piano string breaking - frightening.

Here's the worst of the two - with the calf muscle somewhat shorter than it should be.

 
Here's the worst of the two - with the calf muscle somewhat shorter than it should be.

That picture has just reminded me to get the chicken ready for our Sunday roast!

(Only joking Chris, looks an awful injury. :crazy:)

Ant.
 
That picture has just reminded me to get the chicken ready for our Sunday roast!

(Only joking Chris, looks an awful injury. :crazy:)

Ant.

That's how it is now Ant - imagine what it was like at the time. I convalesced in Finland in mid winter - the cold really helped.

And yeah, I see drum stick too - although the biggest one you'd ever see ;)
 
We'd love to goto Finland as we're more into the cold fresh air than the sunshine. (Yes, I know we're a little weird like that).

Good to see you around Chris. Take it easy pal.

Ant.
 
That's how it is now Ant - imagine what it was like at the time. I convalesced in Finland in mid winter - the cold really helped.

And yeah, I see drum stick too - although the biggest one you'd ever see ;)


oh i don't know :D:D
 

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I ruptured mine while on holiday in Dorset (playing netball as part of the "hotel guests" vs "the hotelier's teenage daughter's team" weekly match). The next day, the local hospital opened up my leg and stitched the tendon back together again. They told me it would be six weeks in plaster, gave me a letter for my local hospital and packed me off home a few days after the operation. It turned out that Hampshire NHS keep you in plaster for three months after an Achilles rupture. What a drag - I wasn't allowed to drive, even though it was my left leg and I had a Volvo 940 automatic at the time.

Make sure you don't put any pressure on it as it is easy to damage the repair for a while and it hurts like hell - I know because I slipped on paving slabs in the wet (fortunately, the repair held). Stick with the physiotherapy when you're out of the plaster.
 
Fortunately I haven't suffered such an injury but a rather sporty work colleague snapped his Achilles tendon playing squash.

After the appropriate time in plaster he ignored medical advice regarding proper convalescence. His leg felt fine so he thought he'd go for a drive. The first time he pressed the clutch pedal it snapped again and he was back to square one.

Take heed of what the medics tell you.
 
I've known quite a few - all healed fine.

To make life a bit more bearable particularly in this heat, get yourself one of these Seal Tight Cast and Wound Protectors
 
Youch! Ruptured calcaneal tendon is a very nasty injury. Unfortunately, tendon tissue doesn't heal like bone or muscle, making healing more lengthy. Fortunately, I have avoided damaging mine, despite all of my mishaps, though I have torn tendons in my shoulder playing tennis. A GP that I knew snapped his whilst playing and went down like the proverbial sack of spuds.

Anyhow, take care and good luck.
 
A buddy of mine did his a few months ago, they didn't operate, but put him in a special "shoe" with the foot angled down to help the tendon heal normally. The shoe was angled back gradually over a period of about 6 weeks, a bit of physiotherapy after and all is well again. He is in his late 60's early 70's so should be no problem for a youngster like yourself :D
 
Did this playing 5-aside about 7 years ago.....as was mentioned earlier, you could hear the 'twang' as it went.
The consultant at the hospital didn't operate but instead put my leg in an angled plaster, presumably the same idea as the angled shoe. Had the plaster on for almost 8 weeks, took at least another fortnight before I could walk at all without a stick as the calf muscle had wasted away a by huge amount - even now I have one calf which is noticeably smaller than the other.
You'll need to make sure that you religiously do all the exercises that the physio gives you. Mine healed eventually, but it probably was about 8 - 9 months before it recovered fully (or at least as fully as it was going to). Hope you recover more quickly.
 
We'd love to goto Finland as we're more into the cold fresh air than the sunshine. (Yes, I know we're a little weird like that).

Good to see you around Chris. Take it easy pal.

Ant.

Ant - Take the overnight ferry from Stockholm to Helsinki - awesome in Winter breaking ice all the way across and beautiful in Summer, leaving the Stockholm archipelago as the sun goes down. Tallinn and SPB are just across the water too making for a fabulous 4 city break.

(sorry OP)
 
Thank you to all, for your wishes & advice.

It seems as if it'll be a longer recovery than I had hoped, but I will take heed and listen.
At the moment my right leg is in plaster & waiting for the results of tomorrows visit to the clinic
 
I can recommend Hoka OneOne maximalist running shoes to protect your tendons once you're better.

They look a little clowny but they fixed my tendonitis from running within a week.
 
Update:

Visited Fracture Clinic & constant confirmed ruptured Achilles tendon, & it seems they now leave it to heal naturally. My lower leg was reset in a colourful red plaster with foot set at an angle & I have to return in two weeks time & the foot angle will be reduced gradually & it a plaster or air boot until it hopefully self heals. Meanwhile it's no weight at all on my right foot & hobbling around or crutches.:(:doh::(:doh::(:doh:
 
Update:

Visited Fracture Clinic & constant confirmed ruptured Achilles tendon, & it seems they now leave it to heal naturally. My lower leg was reset in a colourful red plaster with foot set at an angle & I have to return in two weeks time & the foot angle will be reduced gradually & it a plaster or air boot until it hopefully self heals. Meanwhile it's no weight at all on my right foot & hobbling around or crutches.:(:doh::(:doh::(:doh:

That's you out of Euro 2016 then ;)

Best of luck with your recovery.
 

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