Achilles Tendon Injuries – Delay in Diagnosis

The Achilles Tendon is tissue that connects your calf muscle to your heel bone. If you suffer a severe ankle sprain, you may rupture your Achilles Tendon, either partially or completely. Delay in diagnosing this type of injury can have serious consequences.

When the Achilles tendon is completely or partially ruptured, you may have some or all of the following symptoms:

• Walking with a limp
• Not being able to flex the injured ankle as much as the non-injured one
• Difficulty climbing steps or slopes
• Difficulty with or inability to standing on tip-toe

The doctor’s physical examination will often show a gap between the two ends of the Achilles Tendon which a doctor will be able to feel through the skin. If the Tendon is completely ruptured, the Tendon will shrink and the gap between the two ends of the Tendon will become wider. This makes surgery to repair the Tendon more difficult.

If the Achilles Tendon is only partially ruptured when you are examined by a doctor, delayed diagnosis may mean that the Tendon goes on to completely rupture, which may mean that you would need surgery when that need could have been avoided with earlier treatment.

Our experienced clinical negligence team have acted for clients with successful similar cases in the past. If you feel you suffered as a result of failure to diagnose your Achilles Tendon rupture soon enough, don’t delay – get in touch and speak with one of our clinical negligence experts today for a free, no obligation chat about your potential claim.