How to repair an Achilles tendon
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Is the idea that the tendon eventually grows back together?
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Is the idea that the tendon eventually grows back together?
@taiwan_girl said in How to repair an Achilles tendon:
Is the idea that the tendon eventually grows back together?
That is the idea.
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Is the idea that the tendon eventually grows back together?
@taiwan_girl said in How to repair an Achilles tendon:
Is the idea that the tendon eventually grows back together?
Yes.
In 1973, I was working in a factory that made stainless steel tubing. The steel was delivered on a large coil. The coil was placed on a spindle, and then the 2 ½ inch wide strip would be pulled into the milling machine. The machine would roll the steel into a tube, and it would be welded on the fly (first company in the US to do that with small diameter tube) and then cut to rough length.
One hot August day, after lunch, I walked from one side of the plant to the other. I stepped over the moving strip of steel with my left foot. At that moment, the mill pulled on the strip, elevating it a bit, so that when I stepped over with my RIGHT foot, I pushed the moving strip into my left heel, slicing my tendon in two pieces.
I limped across the factory, not realizing what happened - almost no pain, and when I sat down to my station, I saw that I had bumped my left heel. I looked down and saw that I hand cut my sock. "Dammit!" I said. Then, I pulled the sock down and saw two ends of shiny tendons looking at me.
Off to the ER.
I met the orthopedic guy who said we needed to operate (duh) and the gasspasser.
His name was Steiner (yea, I remember it) and he had a thick German accent. He asked the usual questions.
"When did you last eat?"
"I had lunch about an hour ago."
"What did you have?"
"McDonalds"
"OK, I think we're going to be doing a spinal"
(I'm a cocky 2nd year medical student)
"I think you're going to think about that again."
"How would you like that cheeseburger in your right mainstream bronchus?"Spinal it was - and of course, I got a spinal headache, LOL.
8 weeks in a walking cast.
8 weeks with a 1" lift on my left heel.
8 weeks with a ½" insert in the shoe. -
@taiwan_girl said in How to repair an Achilles tendon:
Is the idea that the tendon eventually grows back together?
Yes.
In 1973, I was working in a factory that made stainless steel tubing. The steel was delivered on a large coil. The coil was placed on a spindle, and then the 2 ½ inch wide strip would be pulled into the milling machine. The machine would roll the steel into a tube, and it would be welded on the fly (first company in the US to do that with small diameter tube) and then cut to rough length.
One hot August day, after lunch, I walked from one side of the plant to the other. I stepped over the moving strip of steel with my left foot. At that moment, the mill pulled on the strip, elevating it a bit, so that when I stepped over with my RIGHT foot, I pushed the moving strip into my left heel, slicing my tendon in two pieces.
I limped across the factory, not realizing what happened - almost no pain, and when I sat down to my station, I saw that I had bumped my left heel. I looked down and saw that I hand cut my sock. "Dammit!" I said. Then, I pulled the sock down and saw two ends of shiny tendons looking at me.
Off to the ER.
I met the orthopedic guy who said we needed to operate (duh) and the gasspasser.
His name was Steiner (yea, I remember it) and he had a thick German accent. He asked the usual questions.
"When did you last eat?"
"I had lunch about an hour ago."
"What did you have?"
"McDonalds"
"OK, I think we're going to be doing a spinal"
(I'm a cocky 2nd year medical student)
"I think you're going to think about that again."
"How would you like that cheeseburger in your right mainstream bronchus?"Spinal it was - and of course, I got a spinal headache, LOL.
8 weeks in a walking cast.
8 weeks with a 1" lift on my left heel.
8 weeks with a ½" insert in the shoe.@George-K said in How to repair an Achilles tendon:
Then, I pulled the sock down and saw two ends of shiny tendons looking at me.
