The needle test for complete rupture of the Achilles tendon

Several difficulties may be encountered in making a definitive non-operative diagnosis of a complete rupture of the Achilles tendon. In this paper, I describe a new test that directly determines the integrity of the distal ten centimeters of the Achilles tendon. This test is compared with the test described by Thompson and Doherty, and the occasional discrepancy between them is explained by observations that are based on examination of anatomical specimens.