How to Determine Damage to Achilles Tendon

An Achilles tendon injury is a painful yet common condition. Diagnosing the severity of an Achilles injury is relatively easy. Physical signs of damage as well as tests by your physician can help to determine the extent of your Achilles tendon injury.

Things You'll Need

• Physician

Instructions

Diagnosing An Achilles Tendon

1. Feel the Achilles tendon. Using your fingers, probe the tendon for any signs of pain and tenderness. Also notice if the tendon is swollen, bruised or warm.

2. Attempt to walk on the injured foot and take note of any signs of injury. If you cannot bear weight on the leg, then you have a serious leg injury. An Achilles tendon that is at least partially injured will producing a "popping" sound. Any pain of the tendon should be reported to your physician.

3. The Thompson Test is specifically designed to determine the damage to an Achilles tendon. The patient lies face-down on a table with the knees bent as the physician squeezes the calf muscle. If the leg flexes, then the Achilles tendon is still intact.

4. Get an MRI scan. Your physician can use the image provided by the MRI scan to determine the extent of damage to the Achilles tendon and decide on the proper treatment. MRI scans are non-invasive and provide accurate images of the tendons and tissue.

References

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• Additional Information