Question for everyone
Uncategorized August 4th, 2009I hope some if not most of you will take a moment to answer this. What have you been told in terms of when the tendon is healed after surgery? I was told that it is 90% healed at the six week mark, but not 100% until one year.
I’m not talking about calf strength, normalcy, playing sports, etc. I’m talking about the tendon itself actually being healed and somewhat out of the “danger” zone. I’m curious to know what you’ve been told.
Thanks, I hope to get some responses.
Happy Healing-
Shay
August 4th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Interesting question. I have also heard the 1 year mark as being the cut off, but not directly from my surgeon. It’s something I plan to ask at my next visit (4wks post op). What I was told was that the real danger period in terms of tendon healing is 2 weeks post op. Apparently that is the point that the repair is at its weakest.
August 4th, 2009 at 6:50 pm
That’s interesting Matt. Let me know what your doctor says at your next visit. Good luck with your journey.
August 4th, 2009 at 8:17 pm
I heard 90% at 6 weeks and 100% around 6 mos.
August 4th, 2009 at 10:01 pm
Jeez. 90% in 6 weeks, but it’s another five and a half months to get to 100%? If that’s true, no wonder we sufferers get a little peeved at plateauing! It takes almost four times as long to get a tenth as far.
August 4th, 2009 at 11:08 pm
Wow, So wubfree - you heard nearly the same that’s good to know.
Tamar - I hear ya, weird huh? Why does it slow down so much? I wonder if it’s b/c we start using it more? Who knows.
August 4th, 2009 at 11:22 pm
it’s very weird. my doc said after week 2, there’s actually a short period of time where the AT actually weakens before the steady climb to 90% at wk 6. VERY WEIRD.
August 4th, 2009 at 11:26 pm
Hey Wub, Interesting…it seems that mattachille heard the same thing. I wonder why it would dip in healing at that point. Weird - the body is a complex machine.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:55 am
The honest answer has to be that nobody knows for sure. Think of the experiment you would have to do to really answer the question. Imagine 100 people have surgery, then ten of them, every two weeks or so, volunteer to have the force necessary to rupture their tendon measured. Not a study many of us would sign up for. There may be animal studies, but they wouldn’t have the tendinosis that most of us have going in, plus, well, they’re not people. I imagine the docs have to be making educated guesses on this one, perhaps based on when people tend to rerupture. Maybe someone’s doc with a great memory could give a reference to a study out there in the medical journals somewhere?
Doug
August 5th, 2009 at 7:53 am
Hi Doug,
I’m sure you’re right. I was just curious what most peoples docs had told them. I would assume a lot of the doctors estimates are based on physiologically how capable a tendon of that magnitude with limited blood supply, etc., could/should heal in the “average” person. I realize no one probably knows for certain, but I have to hope their estimates are based in something. :-).
Wonder if a study with periodic MRIs would show anything. Probably just a bunch of scar tissue, huh?
I saw one study that stated 8 weeks for complete healing. It was not in reference to the open procedure but the percutaneous one. I had the open done. It didn’t state collection methods for those data, but basically just stated the 8 week number as part of the overall results.
I’m rambling. :-). Thanks for weighing in.
August 5th, 2009 at 12:08 pm
I was told at 6 months I would be good as new, can resume playing basketball. We’ll see about that. At 14 week mark I still have heel pain and limp unless I walk very very slowly. Just from this site, one year seems to be more the norm.
August 5th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
I specifically asked my surgeon “for how long do I have to baby this thing” and his answer was 8 weeks.
August 5th, 2009 at 1:55 pm
I’m surprised he answered. my doc doesn’t say much at all. On my 3rd post op visit I asked about how long till i can go back to work. he then asked me if I wanted to do PT at home or did i want a prescription for it, of course i wanted a prescription. So i start PT tomorrow I hope PT goes better than the bedside manner i got from the doc. now im not complaining it just seems like he is only worried about the surgery and is leaving the rehabilitation to PT and me. Is that normal or did i get a crappy surgen.
August 5th, 2009 at 5:17 pm
I would have to agree with the string of comments here about not quite knowing when your achilles will be back to 100% (if ever). My surgeon did tell me that at about 8 weeks a rerupture is not likely. But, go tell that to all the folks I read on this blog that have reruptured at much later dates. Go figure.
August 5th, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Thank you all so much for replying. It’s interesting to hear the “beat on the street”.
Pietrzak - I agree with you…I keep hearing 6 months, but seems 1 year mark is the real deal. And even 2 years for better results.
Heelpatch - I like how you worded it with your surgeon - perfect! And, his answer seems fairly consistent with the others.
Rover - How funny - I think most of us get the ol’ five second visit with our surgeon. I go in there with lists and I think I usually get about 2 questions off before he starts becoming visibly antsy. I think they’re just busy.
Dancindoug- thanks for the input, I appreciate it. Sounds like we’re all hearing similar things.
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August 6th, 2009 at 3:58 am
Doug53: there are AT Rupture tests on ANIMALS? Holy S*it, imagine being the poor guy that had to do that?! Someone call the RSPCA!
August 6th, 2009 at 11:09 pm
I’ve been told that you’re back to 90%+ at 6 months and that it takes another 3-6 months to get back to 100% although I wonder how many people will actually rehab hard enough to get back to 100%. My doc wouldn’t let me start to run until month 4 saying that the soft tissue needed at least that much time to heal before putting the additional stress on it. 100% is pretty subjective too .. are you doing triathalons or inactive ?