Achilles Tendon Disorders: Etiology and Epidemiology

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Epidemiology of Achilles tendinopathy

Many terms have been used to describe (Achilles) tendon disorders. Because of the highly confusing terminology for (Achilles) tendon disorders, it recently was recommended that the clinical syndrome—characterized by a combination of pain and swelling (diffuse or localized) in and around the Achilles tendon, accompanied by impaired performance—should be called Achilles tendinopathy [7], [8]. Based on histopathologic findings, tendinopathy can be divided into peritendinitis and tendinosis (tendon

Epidemiology

Although the incidence of Achilles tendon ruptures is difficult to determine accurately, it is generally agreed that the incidence has increased in the industrialized countries in recent decades [1], [2], [32], [33], [34], [35]. The incidence of ruptures of the Achilles tendon in the city of Oulu, Finland was approximately 18 per 100,000 in 1994 [32], 6 per 100,000 in Scotland in 1994 [33], 37.3 per 100,000 in Denmark (a single county of 220,000 inhabitants) [34], and 17.9 per 100,000 in a

Summary

The Achilles tendon is the strongest tendon in the human body. The number and incidence of Achilles tendon overuse injuries and complete, spontaneous ruptures have increased in the industrialized countries during the last decades because of the increased participation in sports.

The most common clinical diagnosis of Achilles overuse injuries is tendinopathy, which is characterized by a combination of pain and swelling in the Achilles tendon accompanied by impaired ability to perform strenuous

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by grants from the Sigrid Juselius Foundation, Helsinki, Finland; Tampere University Hospital Research Fund; the Research Council for Physical Education and Sport Ministry of Education, Finland; and the AO Foundation, Switzerland.

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