With the recent ruptured patella tendon injury suffered on national television by the football star, Victor Cruz, there has been greater discussion about that part of the human body that doesn't get a lot of publicity.
Although fairly uncommon, a tendon rupture can be a serious problem and may result in excruciating pain and permanent disability if untreated, according to an article on WebMD
Each type of tendon rupture has its own signs and symptoms and can be treated either surgically or medically depending on the severity of the rupture and the confidence of the surgeon.
For the uninformed, a tendon is the fibrous tissue that attaches muscle to bone in the human body. The forces applied to a tendon may be more than 5 times your body weight. In some rare instances, tendons can snap or rupture. Conditions that make a rupture more likely include the injection of steroids into a tendon, certain diseases (such as gout or hyperparathyroidism), and having type O blood
According to WebMd, the 4 most common areas of tendon rupture include:
- Quadriceps
- A group of 4 muscles that come together just above your kneecap (patella) to form the patellar tendon.
- Often called the quads, this group of muscles is used to extend the leg at the knee and aids in walking, running, and jumping.
- Achilles
- This tendon is located on the back portion of the foot just above the heel. It is the site where the calf muscle attaches to the heel of the foot (the calcaneus bone).
- This tendon is vital for pushing off with the foot. The Achilles helps you stand on your tiptoes and push off when starting a foot race.
- Rotator cuff
- Your rotator cuff is located in the shoulder and is actually composed of 4 muscles that function together to raise your arm out to the side, to help you rotate the arm, and to keep your shoulder from popping out of its socket.
- The rotator cuff tendon is one of the most common areas in the body affected by tendon injury. Some studies of people after death have shown that 8% to 20% have rotator cuff tears.
- Biceps
- The biceps muscle of the arm functions as a flexor of the elbow. This muscle brings the hand toward the shoulder by bending at the elbow.
- Ruptures of the biceps are classified as proximal (close) or distal (far). Distal ruptures are extremely rare. The proximal rupture occurs where the biceps attaches at the top of your shoulder.
Rupturing or tearing of these tendons will have serious consequences if you do not have these injuries fixed. Pay close attention to your body. Know whether you are having pain in those areas, as it may be a precursor to the more serious injury occurring.
