Anatomy of the calf:
The calf is made up of two different muscles the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The Gastrocnemius is the large of the two and has two “heads” which attach to the back of
Anatomy of the calf:
The calf is made up of two different muscles the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The Gastrocnemius is the large of the two and has two “heads” which attach to the back of the knee on both sides. The soleus is a smaller muscle and the bulk of the muscle is further down towards the heel.
The Achilles is the tendon of both the gastrocnemius and soleus, which attach to the calcaneus or the heel bone. The Achilles is actually the largest and strongest tendon in the whole body. (Freedman et al. 2014) The calf muscle work together to move the ankle up and down. Therefore in control of the movements that allow you to go up onto your tiptoes and back down, theses movements are called dorsiflexion and plantar flexion respectively.
Achilles Tendonitis is inflammation of the Achilles tendon at the heel. There are two types, one being at the insertion (so where the muscle attached to the heel bone) and the other is halfway up the tendon itself. The midpoint tendonitis is the most common making up around 66% of patients and thankfully has better success rate. Insertional Achilles problems often cause problems to other structures such as the bursa which is a fliud filled sac which acts as as hock absorber to the Achilles tendon. It is a relatively common condition and affects roughly 2% of population being more common in 9-10% in active individuals especially in runners. (de Jonge et al 2011) Achilles problems account for around 5-12% of all running injuries.
What are the risk factors of Achilles tendonitis:
Age: 36-60 years
Females more than men
Increase demand or overuse of the Achilles and calf this can be through different activity, intensity, or increase use of the calf.
It is normally aggreviated by going up strairs on hills.
High cholesterol is found in 33% of Achilles patients.
Increased movement in pointing your toes up towards the celling
Decreased calf strength
Wearing athletic spikes and other low heeled shoes
Obesity due to the increase pressure on the tendon
Increased pronation or flat feet
- Decrease movement of the ankle joint
- Increase movement of the heel bone.
- Decrease in stability of the ankle when putting pressure through it
- Thickening of tendon à as the body tries to heal it will put down new collagen fibres (fibres that make up the tendon) it