Can a normal Achilles tendon rupture? 4 cases in rugby players examined with UTC

Abstract

Received: March 08, 2019; Accepted: March 18, 2019; Published: March 26, 2019 It is a clinical axiom that spontaneous Achilles rupture is caused by overload of a poor quality (degenerative) tendon. This view is based on biopsies of the Achilles tendon taken immediately after spontaneous rupture; authors have reported degenerative changes such as hypoxic degenerative tendinopathy, mucoid degeneration, tendon lipomatosis and calcific tendinopathy, in almost all cases [1-3]. These pathologies are not acute—hence the conclusion that spontaneous rupture arose in a region of Achilles tendon that was degenerated and thus weakened and predisposed to rupture. However, this histological description is based on the examiners (pathologist) subjective evaluation--not on a validated and standardized description of tendon pathology. Consequently, even though it is tempting to believe that the described changes have been longstanding, there are no scientific proofs backing up that statement. Might these changes be a result of the rupture?