Achilles tendon injuries.

As the number of persons who participate in athletic activity into their later years has increased, so has the incidence of overuse injuries to the Achilles tendon. The etiology of these problems is multifactorial and includes biomechanical factors and training errors. Use of a histopathologic scheme for classification of these injuries facilitates a logical approach to treatment. Conservative care is a mainstay of treatment for inflammatory conditions. Satisfactory outcomes may be obtained with either nonoperative or operative treatment of acute ruptures, although surgically treated patients appear to recover better functional capacity. Treatment of neglected injuries to the Achilles tendon continues to be a challenging problem.