Traditionally people with a ruptured Achilles were treated in a plaster cast from the knee to the foot and were unable to bear weight on the cast for up to three months. This allowed the tendon to heal but resulted in wasting of the muscles in the lower leg and prolonged rehabilitation.

Recent research has led to advances in the management of this injury. Specifically, these studies compared plaster cast rehabilitation to immediate weight-bearing within an orthotic and demonstrated that immediate weight-bearing within an orthotic is safe and has functional advantages, leading to quicker return to normal activities.

It is acknowledged that there is a wide variety of orthotic devices available and rehabilitation protocols used I plan to investigate which is the best and most effective type  using ultrasound to assess tendon healing, gait analysis to measure walking patterns and questionnaires to determine how quickly people return to their normal activities. 

Accelerated rehabilitation techniques are increasingly being used for sportsmen and women, but there is no reason why these same techniques can’t be applied to members of the general public who sustain similar injuries.