The Achilles tendon is the strong fibrous cord that connects the powerful muscles in the lower leg to your heel bone.
The Achilles tendon is made up of strong fibrous tissue, but this tissue does not have the greatest blood supply, so they are predisposed to injury and rupture.
If you overstretch your Achilles tendon, it can tear. But if you completely tear through the tendon, it is called an Achilles tendon rupture.
An Achilles rupture is often the result of forceful jumping, pivoting, or running "gone wrong." A fall or trip can also cause the Achilles to rupture.
Dr. Bob Baravaria DPM, FACFAS is a Board-Certified Podiatric Foot and Ankle Specialist. He is an assistant clinical professor at the UCLA School of Medicine and serves as Director of University Foot and Ankle Institute.
Dr. Baravarian has been involved in athletics his entire life and played competitive tennis in high school and college. He has an interest in sports medicine, arthritis therapy, and trauma/reconstructive surgery of the foot and ankle. He is also fluent in five languages (English, French, Spanish, Farsi, and Hebrew),