Ruptured Right Achilles Tendon

[DNAngel]

Hey guys,

I ruptured my right Achilles Tendon while sprinting to a drop shot during tennis competition on Saturday 22nd of July 2023.

I had surgery to fix it on Thursday 10th of August 2023 and had my cast removed on Thursday 31st of August 2023.

Has anyone successfully returned to competitive tennis after rupturing their Achilles tendon?
And if so, how long was the recovery process like? What did you do for rehab?

Thanks!

 

[yossarian]

Expect 6-9 months of rehab. People I’ve worked with have done well but none so far have had high level sport aspirations

Rehab process is relatively straight forward. Your surgeon probably has a protocol. Don’t overstretch it early on in your recovery

 

[Rosstour]

Will be summer of '24 before you're ready to really go nuts

 

[DNAngel]

Expect 6-9 months of rehab. People I’ve worked with have done well but none so far have had high level sport aspirations

Rehab process is relatively straight forward. Your surgeon probably has a protocol. Don’t overstretch it early on in your recovery

When I mentioned competitive tennis, it’s at the club level.

So that should be achievable?

 

[Rosstour]

When I mentioned competitive tennis, it’s at the club level.

So that should be achievable?

Everyone is different but my 5.0 buddy is back to playing nearly 5.0 tennis now

 

[yossarian]

When I mentioned competitive tennis, it’s at the club level.

So that should be achievable?

Can never guarantee anything but I’d say so

 

[ollinger]

All correct above, 3 guys I've played with had ruptures, all needed a good 6 to 9 months away from the game, one guy closer to a year, all were able to resume respectable club tennis, the most recent guy winning a club B-doubles championship.

 

[jeep2008]

19 days from rupture to surgery is unacceptable. Achilles tendon must be operated same day or the latest the next. Why such a delay?

 

[jxs653]

Wow, sounds scary. I wish you fast recovery.

 

[DNAngel]

All correct above, 3 guys I've played with had ruptures, all needed a good 6 to 9 months away from the game, one guy closer to a year, all were able to resume respectable club tennis, the most recent guy winning a club B-doubles championship.

My surgeon recommended at least 10 months of recovery and rehab before returning to tennis.

 

[Mike T]

No rupture here but a damaged right tendon due to age (66) and bone spur on the back of the heel. Surgery on 1/23/23, surgeon shortened the damaged tendon by 2", chiseled/ground off the bone spur and then went about 10" above the ankle and lengthened "cut" the calf muscle to compensate. Surgeon said 90 days after the cast came off it would take as much force to dislodge the repaired tendon and it would to dislodge my good tendon. At 90 days I started back on my ball machine, no more than 1-2 steps to get to the ball. At 1-2 steps I could only hit for 30-45 minutes till the discomfort made it difficult, but this is normal and to be expected. Most discomfort at the tendon attachment point. At 6 months I was able to get back to playing with limited speed and maneuverability. At 7 months, I still experience some discomfort and weakness in sprinting. But I am back to 75-80% play-ability. I think the first 75 % will come back quickly, the last 25% not so much. But it will come back. The above posters who say 10-12 months for a full recovery are correct. You can play, but getting back to 100% is going to take about a year. I would respectfully suggest you go to PT religiously, home stretching twice a day, a percussion massage gun for your calf muscles will help, hot soak with Epsom salt every day and ice bath after you play. Per my surgeon I put felt inserts in my shoes to give me a "Bio-mechanical advantage". They made walking more comfortable and I replaced them gradually with plantar fasciitis inserts. For hard courts you should consider a shoe with maximum cushioning and inserts for a while. Good luck with your recovery, it's no fun, but it will pass.

 

[Ace1313]

19 days from rupture to surgery is unacceptable. Achilles tendon must be operated same day or the latest the next. Why such a delay?

It's not ideal, but "must" may be overstating the case. I had a 9 day delay (was out of state when I ruptured mine), and made a full recovery

 

[Ace1313]

When I mentioned competitive tennis, it’s at the club level.

So that should be achievable?

Absolutely - I ruptured mine and made a full recovery. The only area that I notice it is that I can't jump quite as high off the ruptured leg, when hitting a switch kick overhead, but strokes, serve, and movement are all back to where they were. It does take a while to recover. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want to chat.

 

[jeep2008]

It's not ideal, but "must" may be overstating the case. I had a 9 day delay (was out of state when I ruptured mine), and made a full recovery

Well what can I tell you..that's what I've been told by a surgeon in the hospital I work.Also check these 2 results from the web
1}If the rupture is complete and severe, surgery is usually recommended as soon as possible, ideally within the first 48 hours after the injury. This is because the sooner the tendon is repaired, the less likely it is to retract and the better the chances of a successful outcome
2}This study finds no difference in the outcome but between cases from ≤24h until the latest ≤1 week

How early must an acute Achilles tendon rupture be repaired? - PubMed

An acute Achilles tendon rupture is the most common tendon rupture of the lower extremities, yet the optimal timing for an early surgical repair is unclear. To identify the optimal time for an early surgical repair with favorable results, we evaluated the isokinetic muscle strength and clinical...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Abstract​

An acute Achilles tendon rupture is the most common tendon rupture of the lower extremities, yet the optimal timing for an early surgical repair is unclear. To identify the optimal time for an early surgical repair with favorable results, we evaluated the isokinetic muscle strength and clinical outcomes of early surgical repairs of acute Achilles tendon ruptures performed at different time points after injury. Between January 2011 and July 2015, a total of 65 patients underwent an acute Achilles tendon rupture repair within 1 week after injury. To compare the outcomes at different time points post-injury, we divided patients into 3 groups: group 1, surgical treatment at ≤24h; group 2, surgery at ≥24h and ≤48h; and group 3, surgery at ≥48 hours and ≤1 week. The isokinetic muscle strength in both ankles were measured using a Cybex dynamometer, and the Achilles tendon total rupture score, the modified Tegner scoring system, the visual analog scale was used to assess clinical outcomes. Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare multiple results in the 3 groups. No significant differences were found among the groups in terms of ankle isokinetic muscle strength or clinical outcome scores (P>0.05). The complication rate was low in all groups. There were no significant differences in isokinetic muscle strength or clinical outcomes following acute Achilles tendon rupture repairs performed within 1 week after injury.

 

[johnmccabe]

19 days from rupture to surgery is unacceptable. Achilles tendon must be operated same day or the latest the next. Why such a delay?

Not sure where you live. It's not possible in many parts of US these days.

 

[johnmccabe]

Hey guys,

I ruptured my right Achilles Tendon while sprinting to a drop shot during tennis competition on Saturday 22nd of July 2023.

I had surgery to fix it on Thursday 10th of August 2023 and had my cast removed on Thursday 31st of August 2023.

Has anyone successfully returned to competitive tennis after rupturing their Achilles tendon?
And if so, how long was the recovery process like? What did you do for rehab?

Thanks!

If you are off cast, the worst part is behind you. I had surgery last December. Played first social double game in June. Played 3 sets of singles with a 5.0 last week. Single leg jump test, the repaired one can match 90% of the uninjured one. I started calf raise with weights in gym recently and hope to bring the strength back fully. The injured side still has a smaller calf. Won't play any USTA matches until one full year. That's how long the tendon remodeling phase can take. Another major issue. Before the calf strength is back on the injured side, the other side will over compensate. My good Achilles started hurting when I first get back on court. Be very careful if it happens. I know a few cases someone ruptured both Achilles two years in a row.

There are a ton of things I improved on my tennis during the injury recovery. Partly it's because I was a relatively new player. It's actually really good to focus on improving fundamentals without playing matches for a few months.

 

[Ace1313]

Well what can I tell you..that's what I've been told by a surgeon in the hospital I work.Also check these 2 results from the web
1}If the rupture is complete and severe, surgery is usually recommended as soon as possible, ideally within the first 48 hours after the injury. This is because the sooner the tendon is repaired, the less likely it is to retract and the better the chances of a successful outcome
2}This study finds no difference in the outcome but between cases from ≤24h until the latest ≤1 week

How early must an acute Achilles tendon rupture be repaired? - PubMed

An acute Achilles tendon rupture is the most common tendon rupture of the lower extremities, yet the optimal timing for an early surgical repair is unclear. To identify the optimal time for an early surgical repair with favorable results, we evaluated the isokinetic muscle strength and clinical...

pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Abstract​

An acute Achilles tendon rupture is the most common tendon rupture of the lower extremities, yet the optimal timing for an early surgical repair is unclear. To identify the optimal time for an early surgical repair with favorable results, we evaluated the isokinetic muscle strength and clinical outcomes of early surgical repairs of acute Achilles tendon ruptures performed at different time points after injury. Between January 2011 and July 2015, a total of 65 patients underwent an acute Achilles tendon rupture repair within 1 week after injury. To compare the outcomes at different time points post-injury, we divided patients into 3 groups: group 1, surgical treatment at ≤24h; group 2, surgery at ≥24h and ≤48h; and group 3, surgery at ≥48 hours and ≤1 week. The isokinetic muscle strength in both ankles were measured using a Cybex dynamometer, and the Achilles tendon total rupture score, the modified Tegner scoring system, the visual analog scale was used to assess clinical outcomes. Kruskal-Wallis and Fisher's exact tests were used to compare multiple results in the 3 groups. No significant differences were found among the groups in terms of ankle isokinetic muscle strength or clinical outcome scores (P>0.05). The complication rate was low in all groups. There were no significant differences in isokinetic muscle strength or clinical outcomes following acute Achilles tendon rupture repairs performed within 1 week after injury.

Thanks for the data - but am I missing something? The article looked at 3 cohorts (<24hr, between 24 - 48 hr, and <1 week) and saw no difference. They didn't have a >1 week group, so no data is shared that says that results would be worse with a few extra days delay.

 

[jeep2008]

Thanks for the data - but am I missing something? The article looked at 3 cohorts (<24hr, between 24 - 48 hr, and <1 week) and saw no difference. They didn't have a >1 week group, so no data is shared that says that results would be worse with a few extra days delay.

I believe its because of what I originally said.After 1 week it is rare and not advisable.

 

[norcal]

Aaron Rodgers enters the chat.

 

[StringSnapper]

@DNAngel hows it going? I've had tendonitis in my left achilles, even that is seemingly taking a year to heal fully. Poor blood supply

 

[Ombudsman]

My surgeon recommended at least 10 months of recovery and rehab before returning to tennis.

Male - 54, aspiring 4.0 player.

Tore my Achilles playing soccer when I was 40. Similar recovery timeline as most suggested and came back (almost) fully to playing soccer and tennis. I did lose a little pace.

The one area I needed to address post surgery and PT was my gait, especially when running. Once I addressed that, I was essentially back playing normally. Something to watch out for anyway.

 

[dkmura]

Male- 68 and I almost tore the L achilles off the heel 15 years ago. That, a fully torn ACL and meniscus a few years later made a comeback(s) difficult. But it took about 12 months to recover from each injury, but I still haven't got the hops I once did. That's OK- I'm still playing at 68....

 

[JW10S]

Hey guys,

I ruptured my right Achilles Tendon while sprinting to a drop shot during tennis competition on Saturday 22nd of July 2023.

I had surgery to fix it on Thursday 10th of August 2023 and had my cast removed on Thursday 31st of August 2023.

Has anyone successfully returned to competitive tennis after rupturing their Achilles tendon?
And if so, how long was the recovery process like? What did you do for rehab?

Thanks!

I was playing in a Pro/Am doubles event years ago when my amateur partner completely snapped his Achilles. It sounded like someone breaking a stick. To his credit it was a weeklong event that his wife was also playing in, so he went the emergency room, got a boot and stayed for the whole event to cheer her on before going home for surgery. I kept in touch and it was a good year before he started playing regularly again. I don't know the specifics of his rehab but he was able to eventually play again at his previous level and frequency. Good luck.