Achilles tendon rupture typically presents with what symptom?

Achilles tendon rupture typically presents with what symptom?

• A. Inability to plantarflex the foot and a palpable gap posteriorly
• B. Numbness over dorsum of foot
• C. Pain with resisted dorsiflexion
• D. Swelling without functional loss

Answer: (A)

Achilles tendon rupture presents with a loss of push-off force because the connection from the calf muscles to the heel is torn, so plantarflexion is greatly weakened or lost. You can often feel or see a gap behind the ankle where the tendon has ruptured, which is the key physical finding. This combination—inability to plantarflex and a palpable posterior gap—is the classic presentation. Numbness over the dorsum of the foot would suggest a nerve issue rather than a tendon rupture. Pain with resisted dorsiflexion tests the dorsiflexor muscles, not the Achilles tendon. Swelling with preserved plantarflexion would be inconsistent with a complete rupture, which impairs that movement.

Achilles tendon rupture presents with a loss of push-off force because the connection from the calf muscles to the heel is torn, so plantarflexion is greatly weakened or lost. You can often feel or see a gap behind the ankle where the tendon has ruptured, which is the key physical finding. This combination—inability to plantarflex and a palpable posterior gap—is the classic presentation.

Numbness over the dorsum of the foot would suggest a nerve issue rather than a tendon rupture. Pain with resisted dorsiflexion tests the dorsiflexor muscles, not the Achilles tendon. Swelling with preserved plantarflexion would be inconsistent with a complete rupture, which impairs that movement.