Symptoms
The symptoms of a torn tendon are usually very typical. Relatively simultaneously with the rupture event, a sudden and stabbing pain sets in at the corresponding tendon region. Since the pain is very strong, a torn tendon is noticed very quickly compared to other injuries of the musculoskeletal system.The only exception is the partial tendon rupture: In this case, it is a small microlesion, which is often only temporarily painful and does not cause the classic symptoms.
Once the pain subsides, however, the torn tendon has by no means healed, so that further strain often results with an increased risk of rupture of the tendon. This gradual change usually ends with a total rupture of the tendon. Classical symptoms of the torn tendon are, in addition to the severe pain, swelling and hematoma formation (bruising).
In addition, the movement is limited by the pain but above all by the loss of function, since the tendons are there to transfer the strength of the muscles to the skeleton. If a tendon is completely torn, the muscle lacks the decisive attachment, so that despite contraction due to shortening, no movement can result. If one inspects the affected area of the torn tendon, one can see not only bruising and swelling, but in some cases also a retraction or dent.
This is due to the fact that the rupture means that the tendon is no longer attached to its actual attachment point or its continuity is interrupted. As a result, the muscle strand with the tendon as a “runner” does not represent a continuous and uniform structure, but instead forms an interruption at the site of the rupture in the form of a dent or retraction. All symptoms mentioned so far naturally vary in intensity and duration depending on the location and size of the torn tendon.
The movement restriction is also more or less registered depending on the importance of the affected muscle in the movement. As an example, imagine the comparison of the Achilles tendon and a finger extensor tendon. A rupture of the Achilles tendon makes the strain of walking almost impossible. The rupture of a finger extensor restricts the respective movement to a certain extent, but the significance or degree of movement restriction is not comparable. With regard to the size of the ruptured tendon, the event of the tendon rupture can even be perceived acoustically: If the Achilles tendon ruptures as the strongest tendon in the body, a loud bang occurs, as already mentioned, which can be compared to a whip blow.
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