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Acute rupture of achilles tendon in a 7-year-old girl
Mark Eidelman1, Alicia Nachtigal, Alexander Katzman
1Pediatric Orthopedics Unit, Rambam Medical Center, Haifa, Israel. markeid@yahoo.com
Insights
Achilles tendon ruptures are common in adults but rare in young children. This case study details a 7-year-old girl successfully treated for an acute Achilles tendon tear, a rare occurrence in this age group.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedics
- Pediatric Sports Medicine
- Musculoskeletal Injuries
Background:
- Achilles tendon ruptures are common in adults over 30.
- Pediatric Achilles tendon ruptures typically present as avulsion fractures from the calcaneus.
- Acute intratendinous Achilles tendon ruptures are exceptionally rare in children.
Observation:
- A 7-year-old female presented with an acute Achilles tendon tear.
- The patient had no identifiable underlying predisposing medical conditions.
- Conservative treatment was successfully administered for the acute tendon tear.
Findings:
- This case represents a rare instance of an acute Achilles tendon rupture within the tendon itself in a child under 10 years old.
- Conservative management proved effective for this pediatric Achilles tendon injury.
- The study highlights a unique presentation of Achilles tendon pathology in a pediatric patient.
Implications:
- This case expands the understanding of Achilles tendon injuries in pediatric populations.
- It suggests that conservative treatment may be a viable option for acute Achilles tendon tears in young children.
- Further research is warranted to explore the incidence and optimal management of such injuries in pediatric patients.
Abstract:
Ruptures of Achilles tendon are a relatively common injury. Ruptures typically occur after the age of 30 years, and are more frequent in people of middle age or older. In children, rupture of the tendon is usually due to avulsion of the tendon from the calcaneus but not within the tendon itself. We describe a 7-year-old girl successfully treated conservatively for acute tear of her Achilles tendon. No general predisposing disease was found. We were unable to find any description of an acute rupture of the Achilles tendon in a child under the age of 10 years.
