QUESTION: What is rupture his Achilles Tendon?
Jeopardy’s popular host Alex Trebek learned the hard way that chasing burglars can be hazardous to your health. He appeared at a news conference recently using crutches. Trebek was in a San Francisco hotel where a 56 year old woman broke into his hotel room. He sustained the Achilles tendon rupture while running down the hall after the burglar. He is scheduled to have surgery to repair the tendon on July 29.
The Achilles tendon is the most commonly injured tendon in the body. Many athletes and weekend warriors experience Achilles tendonitis as they push themselves beyond their limits. This can be treated conservatively unlike a rupture of the tendon which may require surgical repair depending on the severity of the injury. A rupture of the Achilles tendon can be caused by direct force or trauma to the area or as in Trebek’s case, there was a sudden burst of speed beyond the physical capacity of the tendon. The recovery from such an injury does take time and involves complete immobilization initially followed by gentle stretching and activity to help restore mobility.