ABSTRACT
Background: The prevalence of Achilles tendon injuries is a common musculoskeletal disorder affecting the foot in athletic and non-athletic population. The Achilles tendon is the thickest and strongest tendon in the human body. It is the major plantar flexor of the foot and contributes to the maintenance of the upright position. MRI is an excellent imaging modality for suspected Achilles tendon lesions due to its accuracy, efficiency, multiplanar imaging capabilities and excellent soft tissue characterization
Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the role of MR imaging in clinically diagnosed Achilles tendon rupture and how MRI influences the management
Patients and Methods: This study was conducted at the radiology department, Faculty of medicine, Ain shams University. 20 patients with clinically diagnosed partial and full thickness tear of the Achilles tendon underwent MRI evaluation after four clinical tests
Results: The results of our study revealed many limitations in clinical tests that revealed defective details which were essentially significant for the way of management being operative or conservative
Conclusion: MRI is the method of choice and superior to clinical tests when evaluating Achilles tendon lesions, facilitating the choice of treatment being operative or non-operative, evaluating intra-tendinous changes in all types of AT tear and follow up during the healing period