Musculoskeletal - Achilles Tendon Injury
Caption
A 20s M presented with an ankle injury after landing a skateboard trick and feeling a painful pop in his posterior ankle. He had a positive Thompson test on exam. POCUS of the affected Achilles tendon was performed. This clip shows a long axis view of the Achilles tendon using the linear transducer, with inferior at the right of screen and superior at the left of screen. There is a relatively hypoechoic area (within red arrowheads) within the normally hyperechoic tendon, and the thickness is increased in this area as well, indicating focal injury to the tendon. Orthopedics was consulted, and the patient was placed into a splint in plantar flexion and discharged with outpatient follow up. MRI later confirmed a full thickness Achilles tendon tear and the patient was scheduled for surgery. Jaimie Trenney, PA-C Denver Heath Medical Center