Where is the Achilles tendon

From the perspective of medical anatomy, the Achilles tendon is the gastrocnemius tendon, located on the dorsal side of the ankle at the same level as the ankle, assisting the foot in performing various movements. It can also be said that this is where the perfect curve of footsteps pursued by people who love beauty is. It is often injured due to a large impact force, the most common of which are basketball and volleyball players. Of course, we must not forget those who have zero monthly or weekly exercise and must pay special attention to protection.

The gastrocnemius muscle is located in the superficial layer of the posterior calf. It has inner and outer ends, which originate from the medial and lateral condyles of the femur respectively. The medial head often originates higher than the lateral head. The two ends can merge downward 2 to 3 cm near the plane of the fibular head, migrate downward to the tendon, and fuse with the soleus tendon to form the Achilles tendon, ending at the calcaneal tuberosity. The total length of the gastrocnemius muscle is 42cm, the medial head belly is about 23cm long, 5.8cm at the widest point, and 1.4cm thick; the lower end of the tendon (from the lower end of the belly to the heel tubercle) is 19cm long, and most of the tendons are shorter than the belly. The belly of the lateral head muscle is about 22cm long, 4.3cm at the widest point and 1cm thick; the lower end of the tendon is 20cm long, and most of the tendons are shorter than the belly. The average length of the Achilles tendon after the gastrocnemius and soleus tendons healed was 7.2 cm, 1.3 cm wide and 6.7 mm thick at the line connecting the medial and lateral malleolus. Because the connection between the two tendons is not completely fixed, the length of the Achilles tendon varies significantly.

The Achilles tendon does not have a true tendon sheath, but is surrounded by peritendinous tissue (fatty interstitial tissue that separates the tendon and the tendon sheath). The early pain of Achilles tendinitis is mainly caused by damage to the tissues around the tendon. When the patient gets up or continues walking, the activity of the tendon in the peritendinous tissue increases, so the pain worsens. The pain may also be worse during training. There is tenderness when pressing the Achilles tendon with fingers. If the patient continues to run despite the pain, the inflammation will spread to the tendon, causing degeneration and fibrosis, resulting in persistent pain that is aggravated by activity.

Maintenance and Damage Prevention

Achilles tendon injuries are preventable.

First, you must warm up before exercise and fully stretch your Achilles tendon.

Second, people who are overweight or have not exercised for a long time should lose some weight before playing ball.

Third, don’t get too tired, especially when your calf muscles become stiff, it’s best to rest for a while.

Fourth, strengthen leg strength training.

Fifth, people over 35 years old should pay special attention to:

The number of blood vessels in the Achilles tendon decreases with age, and this becomes obvious after the age of 35, making Achilles tendon injury more likely.

Sixth, pay attention to your exercise posture and maintain the correct body shape and pace