epidimiology of acute Achilles tendon rupture

Last reviewed 07/2021

Annual incidence of acute rupture is around 2 in 10,000 (1).

• the number of acute Achilles tendon rupture is on the rise due to the increasing percentage of the population participating in sporting activities at an older age and sedentary life style
• athletic activities accounts for 68% of the acute tendon ruptures
• more common in men
• classical patient is usually a beginner attempting an unaccustomed sport
• injuries due to non sporting activities is seen amongst older patients and patients with a body mass index greater than 30 (1,2,3)

Injury usually results when a strong dorsiflexion force on the ankle is applied at the same time as the gastrocnemius-soleus complex contracts to plantarflex the ankle: an eccentric contraction (2).

Activities related to tendon rupture include:

• football
• is responsible for majority of traumatic tendon ruptures in Canada and Europe
• basketball
• in the US,  basketball was the most commonly involved sport, accounting for 48 % of all ruptures
• tennis
• squash
• badminton
• running
• other sports that require abrupt jumping or bursts of sprinting
• a fall or missing a step
• deep laceration over the site of the tendon (1)

Reference:

• (1) Singh D. Acute Achilles tendon rupture. BMJ. 2015;351:h4722.
• (2) Pedowitz D, Kirwan G. Achilles tendon ruptures. Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2013;6(4):285-93.
• (3) Gulati V et al. Management of achilles tendon injury: A current concepts systematic review. World J Orthop. 2015;6(4):380-6.