Posterior Tibial Tendon Rupture

Your posterior tibial tendon runs along the inside of the back of your heel and down onto the bottom of your foot. Many times, this tendon will be injured as a result of someone being overly aggressive with a new workout plan. The tendon will become irritated and inflamed and if the person does not heed their body’s warnings, then the tendon can actually split in half. The tendon can also rupture due to people who have flat feet or are obese. In both of these cases excessive pressure is being placed on the tendon and it eventually is compromised due to the stress of the pressure. If you do not notice a sharp pain, because not all people will, you may notice that your foot is more flat or that your foot rolls inward where it did not in the past.

Treatment for this condition ranges from bracing to surgery. The steps that are taken are all dependent on how far the injury has progressed. In individuals who did not notice the pain initially, their ligaments can stretch causing the foot to flatten out even more. The bones will eventually shift and the entire foot may change shape from its original form. In all patients, x-rays and ultrasound can be performed to help decide what treatment needs to be done.

For the early stages, a brace can be used to hold the tendon stationary. This will allow the tendon to reconnect and prevent further inflammation from occurring. Orthoses can be used to correct the flatfoot and hold the foot in a more stable position. For people who have progressed to a more severe flatfoot, casting may be able to be used, but for some people, the foot will not be able to reach the more stable position because the ligaments have gotten tighter. This tightness prevents flexibility and the foot is not able to be moved out of the flat position. For these people surgery can be used to reattach the ligament and realign the bones that are causing the flat foot and the pain associated.

The key to any injury is a fast reaction time. It is important that as soon as you notice a change in your foot from the way that it has always been that you seek medical consult from your podiatrist. The quicker that you come in for a consult, the faster we can nip the problem in the bud and get you back on your feet.