As Does Ryan Howard’s Achilles Tendon Goes Pop, so Does the Phillies Season

The favorite Philadelphia Phillies lost their playoff series last night to the St. Louis Cardinals. On the very last play, Ryan Howard, the Phillies first baseman, was running out a ground ball. On the way to first base, Howard crumbled to the ground. “I heard my Achilles Tendon pop,” he said.

That pop that Howard describes is a sign of an Achilles Tendon tear. You might say well, he has all off season to recover, but Achilles Tendon ruptures are not to be taken lightly. Since the Achilles is the largest and the strongest tendon, it is also the hardest tendon to heal after an injury. The tendon attaches the big calf muscle to the back of the heel bone, also known as the calcaneus. When the calf muscle contracts, the tendon allows you to point your foot and stand tiptoe. The tendon is necessary to run, walk and put your foot down.

How does the Achilles Tendon Tear?

Tears are really not that common and usually occur in Men over 40 or in athletes who perform a ballistic movement, like Dan Marino did several years ago, when he pushed off his foot to throw a pass. The athlete pivots, jumps or runs in a very quick fashion.

The injury can also happen in these situations.

1) You make a forceful push-off with your foot while your knee is straightened by the powerful thigh muscles. One example might be starting a foot race or jumping.

2)You suddenly trip or stumble, and your foot is thrust in front to break a fall, forcefully overstretching the tendon.

3)You fall from a significant height.
When the injury occurs, a loud pop sound usually happens. It is sometimes sounds like a gun shot went off. Sometimes the tendon doesn’t fully tear, and you get a partial rupture. Partial tears can lead to a full blown rupture if left untreated. In young athletes, surgery is usually needed to repair the tendon if it was fully ruptured. Partial tears can be treated with initial immobilization and physical therapy.

Rehabilitation after surgery can be from 3-6 months. Most professional athletes, like Ryan Howard, would need about three-four months before being ready to play their sport.

Another way to get a tear of the tendon is to ignore pain in the area. It is very common to develop Achilles Tendinitis, which is a swelling along the tendon. If one ignores this pain and continues to stay very active, the inflamed tendon can tear. So, it is very important to see your podiatrist if this happens.