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Achilles Tendon
From WikiSM
Contents
Description
- Alternative Names
- Heel cord
- Calcaneal tendon
- Origin
- Coalescence of the Gastrocnemius and Soleus muscles to form a common tendon
- Plantaris, when present, also inserts into Achilles
- Arises in the middle calf
- Insertion
- Characteristics
- Approximately 12-15 cm long
- Thickest, strongest and largest tendon in the human body
- Paratenon
- No tendon sheath, just a large highly vascularized paratenon
- Acts as a conduit for the vasculature of the tendon and facilitates tendon gliding between the subcutaneous tissue and posterior fascia[2]
- Kager's fat pad
- Located anterior to Achilles tendon
- Protects blood vessels entering the tendon[3]
- History
- Named after Greek hero Achilles
Actions
- Plantarflexion of the ankle
Vascular Supply
- Proximal and distal: Recurrent branch of the Posterior Tibial Artery
- Midsection (2 to 6 cm from the insertion point): Peroneal Artery[4]
Innervation
Clinical Significance
See Also
References
- ↑ Ma�ulli, N.; Aicale, R.; Tarantino, D. Tendinopathy of the Achilles Tendon. In Ankle Joint Arthroscopy: A Step-By-Step Guide; Allegra, F., Cortese, F., Lijoi, F., Eds.; Springer: Cham, Switzerland, 2020; pp. 227–237.
- ↑ Lohrer H, Arentz S, Nauck T, Dorn-Lange NV, Konerding MA. The Achilles tendon insertion is crescent-shaped: an in vitro anatomic investigation. Clin Orthop Relat Res. 2008;466(9):2230–2237.
- ↑ enjamin M, Moriggl B, Brenner E, Emery P, McGonagle D, Redman S. The “enthesis organ” concept: why enthesopathies may not present as focal insertional disorders. Arthritis Rheum. 2004;50(10):3306–3313.
- ↑ Chen TM, Rozen WM, Pan WR, Ashton MW, Richardson MD, Taylor GI. The arterial anatomy of the Achilles tendon: anatomical study and clinical implications. Clin Anat. 2009;22(3):377–385.