Achilles Tendon Rupture and Repair - Medical Animation
This animation may only be used in support of a single legal proceeding and for no other purpose. Read our License Agreement for details. To license this image for other purposes, click here.
Achilles Tendon Rupture and Repair - Medical Animation
MEDICAL ANIMATION TRANSCRIPT: If a person tears their Achilles tendon, the doctor may recommend a surgical procedure to repair the tendon. The Achilles tendon is a thick band of tissue that connects the two muscles in the back of the lower leg, the soleus, and gastrocnemius, to the bone in the heel of the foot called the calcaneus. It is the largest and strongest tendon in the body. It allows the foot to point downward. This movement is necessary to push off the ground to walk, jump, run, or stand on the toes. The Achilles tendon is one of the most commonly injured tendons in the body. Sudden, forceful up or down foot movements can tear or rupture the tendon. This is a common injury among adults who play sports involving running, jumping, and sudden changes of direction, like basketball, soccer, and tennis. Other risk factors for an Achilles tendon tear are aging, taking certain antibiotics, steroid injections into the tendon, being male, increased BMI, smoking, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetes. An Achilles tendon rupture can be partial or complete. A partial tear means the tendon is still connected. A complete tear means the tendon is torn in two. Surgical procedures to reconnect the two ends of the Achilles tendon can be done in one of three ways, open, mini-open, or percutaneous. During an open repair, the surgeon will make an incision down the back of the lower leg. The skin will be opened so the surgeon can see the torn tendon. The surgeon will sew the two ends together with stitches. Occasionally, some tissue will be used from the gastrocnemius. This tissue will be folded over and stitched on top of the tendon to make it stronger. Sometimes a graphed tissue from a donor is used instead. The incision will be closed with sutures or staples. During a mini-open procedure, a smaller incision will be made over the torn Achilles tendon. The skin will be opened to expose the torn tendon ends. A special tool will be inserted into the area. This tool has several small holes in it to show the surgeon precisely where to place the stitches. The stitches will pass through each hole into the skin and through the tendon. The tool will be removed, which pulls the suture under the skin so only the tendon remains attached to the suture. Then it will be turned upside down and the steps will be repeated. The surgeon will tie the stitches on the top and bottom of each side together, reconnecting the tendon. The incision will be closed with sutures or staples. During a percutaneous repair, the surgeon will make smaller surgical cuts. Three to six cuts may be made, but it depends on the surgeon. The stitches will pass through each hole and each end of the torn tendon. The stitches will be pulled together, reconnecting the tendon. The incisions will be closed with stitches.
"Thank you for the splendid medical-legal art work you did for us in the
case of a young girl who was blinded by a bb pellet. As a result of your
graphic illustrations of this tragic injury, we were able to persuade the
insurance company to increase their initial offer of $75,000.00 to
$475,000.00, just short of their policy limits.
We simply wanted you to know how pleased we were with your work which, to
repeat, was of superlative character, and to let you know that we would be
more than willing to serve as a reference in case you ever need one. Many
thanks for an extraordinary and dramatic depiction of a very serious injury
which clearly "catapulted" the insurance company's offer to a "full and
fair" amount to settle this case."
Philip C. Coulter Coulter &Coulter Roanoke, VA
"It is with great enthusiasm that I recommend Medical Legal Art. We have
used their services for three years and always found their professionalism,
quality of work, and timely attention to detail to exceed our expectations.
We recently settled two complicated catastrophic injury cases. One medical
malpractice case involving a spinal abscess settled for 3.75 million and the
other involving injuries related to a motor vehicle accident settled for 6.9
million. We consider the artwork provided by MLA to have been invaluable in
helping us to successfully conclude these cases.
I highly recommend MLA to anyone seeking high quality, detailed medical
legal artwork."
E. Marcus Davis, Esq.
Davis Zipperman, Krischenbaum & Lotito
Atlanta, GA www.emarcusdavis.com
"We are extremely pleased with the quality of the medical exhibits and the
timely manner in which they were provided. I will certainly recommend
your company to my business associates who could benefit from your services.
Please tell Brian Wilson [Director of Content Development, Senior Medical
Illustrator] that he did an exceptional job on these exhibits."
K. Henderson
Dunaway and Associates
Anderson, SC
"Medical Legal Art wins our firm's highest accolades for professionalism and
exhibit quality. In fact, many of the doctors I work with request color
copies of your outstanding artwork to show to patients during the informed
consent process."
Jeanne Dolan, BSRN, AlNC Legal Nurse Consultant Golden Valley, MN
Medical Legal Art creates medical demonstrative evidence (medical
illustrations, drawings, pictures, graphics, charts, medical animations,
anatomical models, and interactive presentations) for use during legal
proceedings, including research, demand letters, client conferences,
depositions, arbitrations, mediations, settlement conferences, mock jury
trials and for use in the courtroom. We do not provide legal or medical
advice. If you have legal questions, you should find a lawyer with whom you
can discuss your case issues. If you have medical questions, you should seek the advice of a healthcare provider.